Marine deposits in the soil: this is why Chablis wines are unique

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Chablis is a viticulture region in French Burgundy and is known for its dry white wines made from the Chardonnay grape. The town of the same name and the surrounding vineyards are crossed by the Serein River. Due to the higher latitude, the climate is slightly cooler than in other parts of Burgundy, so spring frosts are particularly feared in Chablis. Depending on traffic, you can drive to Chablis in just under four hours from Basel or three hours by train from Paris.

In the 19th century, the region experienced an economic boom due to its proximity to Paris, in the same century plantings fell sharply due to the emergence of diseases and pests. With the construction of the then-new rail line connecting Paris to Marseille in southern France, Chablis suddenly had to compete with cheaper wines from regions like the southern Rhône Valley. After the First World War and the severe frost of 1945, the area under the vines was reduced to only 500 hectares, almost the same as in the canton of Schaffhausen today.

The return of Chablis to the world stage

The basis for the success of Chablis white wines, which have since been recovered, are the unique lands on which the vineyards are divided and the different orientations. Wines marked Petit Chablis come from cooler vineyards with hard limestone and less clay compared to other places. The wines have the high and refreshing acidity characteristic of the region and show subtle notes of green apple and lemon.

If only Chablis is on the bottle, the vines grow in fossil-rich limestone soils. These soils are known for their increased mineral content and highly fossilized marine deposits such as mussel shells or coral. Therefore, it is easy to find a light oyster shell note in a Chablis wine.

When you have a Chablis Premier Cru in your glass, you make a noticeable leap in quality. Unlike Petit Chablis and Chablis, these vineyards are mostly on the south and southeast slopes. Due to better sun exposure and higher temperatures, grapes ripen better here, producing wines that sometimes show drupe flavors such as peach or apricot.

You’ve reached absolute first class when you reward yourself with a Chablis from a Grand Cru location. Sounds like Blanchot, Bougros, Les Clos, Grenouilles, Preuses, Valmur and Vaudésir fall here. All of these locations are just adjacent to the village of Chablis and face southwest to take advantage of the long evening sun. Wines are often taut like a bow about succinct acidity and definite fruit flavors.

Increasing demand in recent years has meant that the area under the vines has increased to around 5500 hectares again. Especially when compared to other white wines from premium Burgundy regions, those from Chablis remained fairly inexpensive. This is probably also due to the fact that about a third of all Chablis wines are wineed by the La Chablisienne cooperative.

These dishes go well with Chablis

Chablis wines are white, dry and have a sharp acidity. This is accompanied by clear aromas of green apple, citrus and sometimes drupes, so the flavors are often rather off-putting than offensive. This makes Chablis an ideal wine accompaniment for sushi and oysters, but also for baked and grilled fish or simply for a refreshing snack. Long live Chablis!

Source : Blick