What
has happened to Chablis? Nothing. In fact, Chablis, the northernmost
village of the grand vineyard regions of Burgundy, is doing just
fine – perhaps the best ever! What is missing is the once-ubiquitous
generic white wine, which borrowed the famous name.
Twenty
years ago, a shockingly high percentage of cheap, everyday American
white wine was sold under the name Chablis. Very little of that
wine had anything in common with its famous European namesake.
Much of it was decent table wine. It just wasn’t really Chablis.
Today,
American producers are more likely to use American names for their
products, citing grape type (Chardonnay), county (Sonoma), district
(Russian River Valley), even a trademark name (Lake Country White).
These days, very little American wine goes to market as Chablis.
Chablis
is a place, a tiny village, one of the finest vineyard sites in
the world. Although we in the United States have used the word
Chablis very loosely, it is part of the French system of Appellation
Controlee. Chablis is one of the most limited and regulated French
wine names. To be labeled Chablis, a French wine must adhere to
strict regulations regarding grape type, vineyard of origin, method
of production, and volume.
Chardonnay
is the only grape allowed in genuine Chablis. Since Chardonnay
is the most sought-after premium wine grape of our time, it is
no surprise that plantings have expanded worldwide. Still, Burgundy
in general and Chablis in particular remain the ultimate expression
of this grape. Unlike Californian or Australian Chardonnay, which
can be soft, buttery and almost sweet, Chablis emphasizes the
backbone, structure and mineral flavor of the grape. These are
perfect dinner wines, completely dry, complex, and crisp.
Hillside
vineyards, fanning out from the village of Chablis, are the only
source for the Chardonnay grapes to make Chablis wines. The registration
of suitable sites is minutely controlled. Certain lesser sites
are designated "Petit Chablis" and generally yield lighter,
fast-maturing (and cheaper) wines. In general, planting is limited
to well-drained, limestone-rich soils. The entire district is
well inland and very far north. These factors combine to maintain
crisp, tart character in the fruit and a pronounced mineral flavor
in the wines.
Quality
levels in Chablis parallel those of the rest of French Burgundy:
village wine is labeled simply Chablis and guaranteed to come
from about 10,000 acres of registered vineyards of this town.
Premier Cru comes from less than 2,000 acres of well-situated
hillside vineyards, which yield more reliable, heavier wines.
Grand Cru is the cream of the crop, coming from one magnificent,
mineral-laden, sunny, well-drained slope! Prices ascend with the
status of the bottling. Petit Chablis will usually sell for between
$12 and $15. Village wine, labeled simply Chablis, will range
from $15 to $25. Premier Crus will vary more widely in price.
Occasionally they can be found for the price of regular Chablis,
but the top producers may ask $30 or $40. Grand Crus always fetch
the highest prices (and provide the richest wines). Expect to
pay more than $40. Certain Grand Crus from top producers may fetch
$100.
Recent
vintages have favored Chablis. There really are no years to avoid.
Bear in mind that this is one category (especially the premier
and grand cru bottlings) that ages very well. The top wines of
Chablis can age 10-20 years. Most hit their stride when 3-5 years
old.
Food
combinations that favor genuine Chablis are herbed dishes (herb-roasted
chicken or port), shellfish (oysters and mussels in particular)
and broiled fish (especially tuna and swordfish.) Chablis also
makes a great aperitif or cocktail wine.
Back to "Articles"
Originally
published in "The Greenville Journal", June 21-27, 2002 in "The
Grapevine" column, author, Richard deBondt.