Chablis is a region familiar to many wine lovers, and its light, crisp, mineral-based Chardonnay white wines are world-famous. This appellation is part of the Bourgogne appellation, but it is customary to treat it as a separate appellation, as Chablis is distinctive, stylistically distinct, and far from the main Burgundy appellation (in the north-west of the central Burgundy appellation, about 100 km away).
1. The ups and downs of Shablis
The word "Chablis" is not French, but a combination of two Celtic words. Therefore, since the Celtic period, this town has been formed, which can be described as a long history. Chablis really started dating back to the Roman period, when 4 large "estates" were built here. But by the time of Domitian (81 - 96 AC), the vines were all uprooted, and it was not until the Emperor Probus (276 - 282 AC) that the region resumed its cultivation of grapes. Since then, Chablis's viticulture has undergone many ups and downs, finally reaching the modern 19th and early 20th centuries. However, during this period, Chablis experienced major disasters such as pest infestations and manpower shortages (due to the world war) as in other Parts of France, but the winemaking tradition remained in this appellation. In 1949, the Chablis Grape and Wine Association held the "First Wine Festival", which was also a sign of the revival of Chablis, followed by a series of innovations in the Chablis appellation, coupled with its own unique climate and terroir conditions, and soon the quality of Chablis wines continued to rise, and more and more consumers loved. By the 1970s, Chablis had become one of France's top wine regions.
In recent decades, the vineyard area has been expanding due to the popularity of Chablis wines, but most Chablis wines have been drunk by the French and The British. In 2012, for example, the French drank 31% of Chablis wine themselves, the British imported 23%, and there were not many Chablis wines in other countries.
2. Terroir characteristics of Chablis production area
Located in the southeast of Paris, just an hour and a half drive from Paris, Chablis can be said to be the "golden gate" of Burgundy. The climate here is continental, with cold winters and hot summers and springs susceptible to frost. The soil of Chablis is rich in calcium and has many fossils of marine life. This unique soil, which gathers sunlight to help the grapes ripen, also gives the wine a pure and crisp acidity, a distinct minerality and a delicate and complex structure, which gives birth to a unique flavor that no other appellation can emulate.
3. The style of Chablis wine
The only legal grape variety in the Chablis appellation is Chardonnay, so almost all Chablis wines are made from 100% Chardonnay, which many people consider to be the equivalent of Chardonnay. Unlike full-bodied Chardonnay wines in southern France and most New World countries, Chablis Chardonnay wines are usually not aged in oak barrels, resulting in a leaner body, dryer and fresher taste. The biggest feature of Chablis wine is that it has a flint mineral flavor, and it can also feel very high acidity in the long aftertaste, giving the impression of being solid and not rough, generally with aromas of citrus, pear and white flowers, and at a young age, the wine will also glow green.
4. Classification of Chablis wines
(1) Little Shablis
Petit Chablis is the most basic and lowest grade Chablis wine. Produced in the outer rim of Chablis, this grade is undulating, windy and less sunny, so it has high acidity and simple flavor, making it suitable for drinking within 1-2 years after leaving the factory.
(2) Chablis
Chablis AOC produces the most of all grades of wine, with vineyards built around the town of Chablis and in the surrounding mountains. In general, Chablis AOC wines have a certain citrus, pear and very pronounced mineral flavor and should be consumed in 2-3 years.
(3) Shablis First Class Garden
Chablis Premier Cru wines are somewhere between chablis AOC and Chablis Grand Cru. Compared to The Little Chablis and Chablis AOCs, the Chablis Primary Garden has higher requirements for light and soil, with less than 15% of vineyards holding the title of First Class Garden, producing most of the wines with intense fruity notes (such as starfruit and lemon) and pronounced mineral flavours.
(4) Chablis Special Grade Park
Located on a gentle south-facing slope in the eastern part of the town of Chablis, the Chablis Special Grade Park covers an area of only 100 hectares. Chablis Premium Vineyard wines have a slightly higher alcohol content than regular Chablis wines and can be bottled for 10-15 years. Some of the best Chablis-Class wines are also aged in wooden barrels to increase the complexity of the wine, but the oak flavor is not overshadowed by the wine's delicate fruity aromas.
5. Chablis well-known winery
(1) Louis MichelLe Winery
Domaine Louis Michel et Fils, a family-owned winery that has been in operation since 1640, is characterized by the complete absence of oak barrels and is a representative of Chablis's use of stainless steel barrels. The style of the winery's wines is: elegant aroma, dense taste, refreshing and sweet.
(2) Wilhelm Fair Winery
Domaine William Fevre was founded in 1959 by Mr. William Fair and now belongs to the Henriot family, a large Champagne group. The winery is characterized by the wonderful use of oak barrels to mature the wine, which makes people feel the charm of combining oak barrel maturity with terroir. The winery's wines are styled in such a way that fresh fruity aromas are combined with a crisp palate, after which the palate becomes sweet, with a long aftertaste, sometimes with hints of seawater.
6. Chablis wine pairing
Chablis wines have a strong mineral flavor, the fruit aroma is more intense, the acidity is refreshing, the body is relatively thin, but it is firm and not rough, and it can often be paired with many foods. Overall, Chablis wines are fresher and more subtle in taste, making them ideal for lighter dishes such as poultry, fish and seafood, such as chicken, salmon, sashimi, sushi, clams, scallops, cream sauce, light cheese, seaweed and seaweed.
However, the most classic pairing of Chablis wines is still oysters. The rich mineral flavor of the wine is very compatible with the salty taste of oysters, and the high acidity can also bring the delicacy and sweetness of the flesh of the oysters, and the sweet and sour flavor lingers in the mouth, leaving the population teeth fragrant and endless.
7. Chablis classic food
If you have a chance to visit Chablis, be sure to try the local classics. In fact, according to the regional principle of table wine pairing, it is better to pair these classic dishes with Chablis wines.
(1) Cheese puffs
Chablis has a classic appetizer called Gougeres and is an indispensable snack for locals when drinking Chablis wine. Gougeres are small, salty dough (actually cheese puffs) made from cheese (usually gruyere cheese with moderate hardness and softness). This is very different from ordinary puffs, it has a thick crispy brown shell, soft and moist inside, full of cheese flavor, salty and delicate when bitten down, soft and delicious, is a delicacy that people can't get tired of eating.
(2) Baked snails
French snails (Escargots) are a world-famous delicacy, on a par with abalone from East Asia, and are generally served as a first dish. Among them, the snails in the Burgundy region are the most famous, and as part of Burgundy, baked snails are also the classic delicacy of Chablis. Generally speaking, snails remove their shells and offal before cooking, and the most common way to cook snails is to cook snails with garlic and parsley butter, and then put the cooked snails and juice into the snail shells. When you pair baked snails with Chablis wine, it is not the snail itself that goes well, but mainly the garlic and parsley butter inside.
(3) Chablis ham
Jambon a la Chablisienne, a sauce made of sliced ham drizzled with local cream, tomato and white wine, is simple and classic. With its creamy texture, delicate sourness of tomatoes, delicate saltiness of ham and crispness of Chablis wines, this is a delicious, structurally complex dish!
8. Impression of Shablis
Chablis is a quiet, elegant, laid-back town with only about 2,600 permanent residents, and it has a much less commercial atmosphere than the hustle and bustle of Bordeaux (only a few restaurants, small supermarkets for daily necessities). It can be said that wine is all the people of Chablis, no matter where they eat, do not forget to come to a bottle of Chablis wine with the right temperature. The Shablis people bring us more feelings: warm and simple. Shablis people especially love the sun, as soon as the sun comes out, everyone will go on vacation, picnic, if you go to a restaurant, you will definitely choose to eat in the sun in the courtyard. The gentle breeze, the blue sky, accompanied by fine wine and food, talking and laughing, this is the life of the Shablis people!