From: Burgundy, France
Varietal: Chardonnay
Tasting Notes: This bottle has so much to love, and we hope you love it as much as we do! From a plot just above the 1er Cru site Cote de Lechet, located on the left bank of the appellation, the resulting wine from this sun-soaked terroir carries the energetic intensity, charm, and frank, assertive flavors this area is known for. Fresh citrus, white peach, and white florals like gardenia and ginger layer themselves over yellow opal apples and an undercurrent of wet stones. This trend continues to the palate, where things become even more attractive. Malo and time on lees give this citrusy, chiseled Petit Chablis a leesy, creamy texture reminiscent of Muscadet Sevre et Maine (hello, oysters!). At the same time, the citrus component of this wine becomes more pronounced with flavors of fresh lime and calamansi, and the floral ginger note on the nose transforms to galangal on the tongue. The opal apple on the nose morphs to golden apple flavors on the palate, balanced by quince and a lingering white peach highlight that continues to the finish, riding on a mineral, citrus-tinged wave. Titillating and vibrant, this Petit Chablis goes far beyond its price point and is a fantastic example of fine wine bargains still available these days. - E. Lyman, Champion Wine Cellars, August 2024.
Pairing: Oysters served raw with lemon or mignonette, fresh garden salads with scallop crudo, shrimp or scallop ceviche, escargot in shallot and parsley butter, butternut squash pasta or pizza, squash blossom or corn empanadas, white pizza’s like Potato Pizza with Creme Fraiche and Bacon, Cacio e Pepe pizza (or frankly, Cacio e Pepe pasta would be amazing too— and, we’re sharing an umami-laden, easy-to-make alternative below!), mushroom and goat cheese bechamel flatbreads, croque monsieur, crab cakes, fish tacos or cod/halibut fish and chips all make for delicious pairing ideas. Some other winning pairings include vegetable tempura, sushi, sashimi, grilled halibut collar, miso butterfish, and even zucchini fritters.
Five-Ingredient Creamy Miso Pasta
By Alexa Weibel
About. Many thanks to our friends at Wine Traditions for the following information. Wine has been produced around Chablis since at least the ninth century. For the last hundred years the area of cultivation authorized to use the name Chablis has had controversial and shifting boundaries. The controversy centers around the area’s two geological formations of limestone deposits; the Kimmeridgian and the Portlandian.
The Kimmeridgian soils, which are soft and marly, are found mostly on the slopes, while the Portlandian soils are hard and rocky and are found mostly on top of the hills. The question is whether to restrict the appellation to vineyards on Kimmeridgian soils.
There are many opinions on the subject, but no two seem to agree. The soils overlap greatly, so a geological answer is not clear-cut. The historical record of where vineyards have been cultivated further confuses matters.
Today, the basic organization of the appellation gives Grand Cru status to seven vineyards which are contiguous and comprise a total of 112 hectares. It gives Premier Cru status to 40 vineyards comprising 742 hectares which are spread throughout the appellation. These vineyards are on Kimmeridgian soils. The far more significant portion of the appellation is divided into Chablis Villages (4420 hectares), largely on Kimmeridgian soils and labeled simply as Chablis and Petit Chablis (1562 hectares) which are largely on Portlandian soils.
Established in 1970, the Domaine d’Elise is located just outside the town of Chablis in the commune of Milly. It was purchased by the current owner, Frédéric Prain, in 1982. The domaine’s vineyard is directly above the south/southeastern facing Premier Cru Côte de Lechet vineyard. It is unusual in that its entire 13 hectares are in one parcel, with Frédéric’s house and winery in the middle. Interestingly, the appellation laws have divided the vineyard into two equal plots: Chablis Villages and Petit Chablis.
The soils are quite poor, with an abundance of surface stones, particularly on the top of the hill. A great deal of pruning is done throughout the growing season to limit yields to 45/50 hl per ha. Harvesting is done as late as possible.
