Chablis - The King Of Chardonnay’s
Chablis, Burgundy, France
Wine Style: Chablis
Average Price: $$$
Overall Rating: 95 points
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Domaine Owner:
Joseph Henriot
Henriot Family
The first time I tasted the William Fevre Chablis Chardonnay was in Atlanta while working with the BLT Restaurant at the W-Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, and a few times thereafter. In 2010 while on a tour of the Bourgogne wine region, we passed by their Burgundy vineyards, then while driving back to Paris, enjoying a few more glasses of their wine when reaching the Chablis AOC.
William Fevre is the largest and most famous Grand Cru; its fame based on its history as one of Chablis’ first vineyards. The appellation enjoys a southerly aspect with very white, dense and deep clay soil, resting on a limestone bed 80 cm below the ground, which brings to the wine those spicy notes so typical of this terroir. The Chablis region is the northernmost wine district of the Burgundy region in France. The cool climate of this region produces wines with more acidity and flavors less fruity than Chardonnay wines grown in warmer climates. These wines often have a "flinty" note, sometimes described as "goût de Pierre à fusil" ("tasting of gunflint"), and sometimes as "steely". The Chablis Appellation d'origine contrôlée is required to use Chardonnay grapes solely.
Chablis lies about 10 miles (16 km) east of Auxerre in the Yonne department, situated roughly halfway between the Côte d'Or and Paris. Of France's wine-growing areas, only Champagne and Alsace have a more northerly location. The region covers 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) x 20 kilometers (12 mi) across 27 communes located along the Serein river.
With a family history dating back 250 years in the Chablis region, William Fèvre’s father was already a great wine-maker after World War II. His son William founded the Domaine de la Maladière and announced his first harvest in 1959. For many years, William Fèvre has worked each plot keenly and skillfully so as to make wine whose personality reflects the authenticity of the soils from which they spring.
In 1998, the Henriot family from Champagne succeeded him. The Domaine was taken up with the desire to make indisputably genuine and fine wines, bringing along a very personal expertise in Chardonnay. All the efforts have but one goal, to finally express the most subtle variations in the greatest Chablis crus.
William Fèvre owns the widest array of Grands Crus and benefits from ideal conditions to produce excellent Chablis. Located on “historical” terroir’s, dating from before the extension of the vineyard areas that occurred in the 1970s, the William Fèvre Domaine is at the very heart of the vineyards, on soil that mixes marl and clay-rich lime, as well as a Kimmeridgian subsoil rich in minerals and oyster fossils that give Chablis its unique mineral character.
Prices average per bottle is $25 for a Domaine and up to $150 for a Grand Cru
Wine and Grape:
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Nose (Bouquet):
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Palette Experience:
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Chablis Grand Cru
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Winemaker Notes:
Remarkably complex bouquet, blending fruity, floral and spicy notes with a substantial mineral touch
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Winemaker Notes:
The structured palate, opening up with age to give powerful, generous wines.
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Final notes, review basics, and observations:
*** NOTE TO THE READER ***
I refer to myself as an oenophile though, oenophilia is defined as “a disciplined devotion to wine, accompanying strict traditions of consumption and appreciation.” In a general sense, oenophilia also refers to the enjoyment of wine, often by a layman - which I am, and not qualified as a professional. I just enjoy drinking it, so my rating is based on enjoyment and the overall experience, not the science of an expert.
Overall Star Rating:
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95 Points
5 of 5 Stars:
An Extraordinary Tasting Experience
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91-95 points on 2013 brands
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92-94 points same year
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Wines Produced
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White: Chablis
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Regulatory
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Other French wines or Château articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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Lanessan’s Baby Brother with a castle
Haut-Médoc AOC
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A Saint-Émillion Grand Cru
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Bottle Prices
(excluding taxes)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricy)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major wine countries and connoisseur’s**
Wine Selection:
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Currency rates in the top wine producing & wine purchasing countries:
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Price Chart :
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2013 (750 ml) Chablis Grand Cru
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€84.00
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European Union (EUR)
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€€
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$96.00
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$$
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$123.00
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Australian Dollar (AUS)
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$$$
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£73.00
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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££
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$121.00
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$$
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¥650.00
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥¥
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$131.00
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New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
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$$$
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R 798.00
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South African Rand (ZAR)
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R
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Currency rates as of July 2017
Domaine William Fèvre:
10 Rue Jules Rathier,
89800 Chablis, France
Tasting Room Information:
Website:
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Tasting room:
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+33 3 86 18 14 37
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Email or Website Contact:
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Tasting Room hours:
France Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - BST Offset + 1:00)
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Monday - Sunday:
9:30 am - 12:30 pm
1:30 pm - 6:00 pm
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Social Media:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
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“I like cooking with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food.”
TTFN
