Description

Brothers Romain and Damien Bouchard founded their winemaking estate only in 2016, yet they are the fourth generation of their clan to toil the classic and chalky, Kimmeridgian soils of Chablis. For generations, the family provided other winemakers with peerless Chardonnay fruit, pulled from impressive holdings in grand cru and premier cru vineyards, planted carefully by family hands.

The family maintains some 70 acres of vineyard land in the “heart” of Chablis, the entirety of which began its organic conversion in 2015; the estate was officially certified in 2018. Holdings include some four acres of grand cru vineyards, and around 20 acres of premier cru land; with the rest in general Chablis and Petit Chablis.

The brothers at the beginning of their project built a new cellar space underneath the family home, which originally was a 19th century abbey. This modern cellar allows wine to be moved gently by gravity.

All grapes (at all levels) are harvested by hand, and sorted both in the fields and in the cellar. Fermentation happens on indigenous yeasts, in either temperature-controlled tank or French oak barrel. Wines in general spend some 18 months on fine lees; and are neither fined nor cold stabilized. Only a moderate amount of sulfur is added at bottling. Wines are lightly filtered.

APPELLATION: Chablis AOC

BLEND: 100% Chardonnay

VINEYARDS: Estate holdings, just under seven acres facing east/southeast,
on a very steep slope. It is one of the coolest premier cru plots in Chablis.
Vines planted by the winemakers’ grandfather in 1979.

AGE OF VINES: Organically farmed 40 year old vines.

WINEMAKING: Hand-harvested. Fermented on indigenous yeasts in a
combination of temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks and older French
oak barrels. Aged on fine lees for 12 months; then six months in only tank.
Lightly filtered, with only moderate sulfur added.

TASTING IMPRESSIONS: Aromas of lemon and lime zest, pear skin, oyster
shells. Light-bodied, lacy; a cooler-climate Chablis

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS: Grilled fish and herbs; roasted chicken; white
meat; moderately aged cow or goat cheeses.