The appellation, named after the town of the same name and classified in 1938, lies to the north of and separate from the Burgundy wine-growing region in the so-called Basse-Bourgogne in the Département of Yonne. To the south-west is the Saint-Bris area, which was included before the appellation regulation. Chablis is separated from the Côte d'Or by the Morvan mountains and is much closer to Champagne than the other areas of Burgundy.

History

The Romans were already cultivating vines here in the 2nd century and later the monastic orders of the Catholic Church took over the cultivation. The Cistercian abbey of Pontigny, whose monks are said to have introduced Chardonnay to the region, made a special contribution. With 40,000 hectares around the town of Auxerre, this was once the largest wine-growing region in France. Sales difficulties and damage caused by phylloxera led to a switch to other agricultural products. In addition, the region was and is extremely vulnerable to hail and frost until May, which is why entire harvests were repeatedly destroyed. All of this contributed to the fact that by the mid-1950s, only 500 hectares were under cultivation.

A new start

From the early 1960s, the risk of frost was successfully combated with various measures. Oil-fuelled ovens were installed in the rows of vines and the heat was distributed throughout the vineyard using windmills. The vines are also sprayed with water. The resulting film of ice forms a protective coating around the young shoots. Today, there are around 4,500 hectares of vineyards in Chablis and 19 other municipalities.

Climate & soil

The climate is cool to continental with frequent spring frosts, which still have a strong influence on viticulture today. The vineyards are mainly located on limestone and fossil-rich Kimmeridge soils from the Jurassic period, which consist of marl, limestone and numerous fossilised mussel shells. This soil formation is considered to be the essential basis for the typical Chablis style with pronounced acidity, minerality and the often-described flint aroma.

Vinification

The pale yellow wine with a greenish tinge is made from a single variety of Chardonnay (here called Beaunoise) and vinified dry. It has a typical mineral flavour of flint (French "Goût de pierre à fusil") and tastes mild and fruity despite its strong acidity, which is due to the predominant clay and limestone soil. The wine is matured in concrete cisterns or stainless steel tanks and then transferred to traditional large oak barrels. However, many producers prefer ageing in barriques. Most wines today undergo malolactic fermentation. A top wine from Chablis has enormous ageing potential of up to several decades.

Four-stage quality hierarchy

The quality hierarchy corresponds to the four-tier Burgundy classification system that applies throughout the region (compared to Bordeaux). In addition to the Chablis appellations of origin, winegrowers are also free to market their wines under the regional appellations of Burgundy. Other grape varieties are also authorised.

Chablis Grand Cru

The top appellation covers around 100 hectares in seven top sites on a south-facing slope north of the town of Chablis. These are Blanchot (12 ha), which is considered the best, as well as Bougros (12 ha), Grenouilles, Les Clos (27 ha), Les Preuses (11 ha), Valmur (13 ha) and Vaudésir (14 ha). A further vineyard called La Moutonne is not listed as a Grand Cru, but is allowed to use the designation on the label because 2.3 hectares of it are located in the two sites Vaudésir and Les Preuses. The yield limit is a maximum of 45 hectolitres per hectare. The wines make up only 5% of Chablis production.

Premier Cru

The yield limit is 50 hl/ha. The total area is 750 hectares in 15 communes (not the commune of Chablis itself) and accounts for around 30% of production. The wines may either bear the name of one of the 40 individual vineyards or the name of a so-called vineyard group on the label. The latter is predominantly used, these are (in brackets the sites that are allowed to use the collective term):

Côte de Jouan, Côte de Léchet, Côte de Vaubarousse, Beuaroy (Troesmes, Côte de Savant), Berdiot, Chaume de Talvat, Fourchame (Côte de Fontenay, L'Homme Mort, Vaulorent, Vaupulent), Les Fourneaux (Côte des Prés-Girots, Morein), Les Beauregard (Côte de Cuissy), Les Landes et Verjuts, Mont de Milieu, Montée de Tonnere (Chapelot, Côte de Bréchain, Pied d'Aloup), Montmains (Butteaux, Forets), Vaillons (Beugnons, Chatains, Les Epinottes, Les Lys, Mélinots, Roncières, Sécher), Vaucoupin, Vau de Vey (Vaux Ragons, Vau Ligneau and Vosgros (Vaugiraut).

Chablis

This appellation covers a very large area with around 2,300 hectares of vines. No vineyard site may be mentioned on the label. The yield limit here is also 50 hl/ha. These wines account for around 60% of production. In good vintages, this can be an excellent, classic Chablis.

Petit Chablis

This appellation covers 1,800 hectares of vineyards in the poorer soils and sites around Chablis, of which only a small proportion is utilised. The yield limit is also 50 hectolitres per hectare. There are efforts to change the somewhat belittling name or to abandon this class altogether.

Producers

Producers with Grands Crus and/or Premiers Crus are Albert Bichot (Domaine Long-Depaquit), Barat, Billaud-Simon, Pascal Bouchard, La Chablisienne, Michel Cobois, Jean Collet, Jean Dauvissat, René & Vincent Dauvissat, Jean Defaix, Jean-Paul Droin, Joseph Drouhin, Gérard Duplessis, Domaine Marcel Duplessis, William Fèvre Domaine de la Maladière, Château Grenouilles, Jean-Pierre Grossot, Michel Laroche, Domaine des Malandes, Domaine des Maronniers, Domaine de Meulière, J. Moreau & Fils (Boisset), Sylvain Mosnier, Gilbert Picq, Domaine Pinson, Jean-Marie Ravenau, Guy Robin, Philippe Testut, Jean-Marie Raveneau, Château de Viviers, Robert Vocoret & Fils, Domaine Vocret.

Grand Cru sites: By CocktailSteward - Own work, CC BY 3.0, Link
Map: By DalGobboM¿!i? - Own work, GFDL, Link