The Grand Crus of Chablis

Sun looks a little mad

Earlier today I went to a tasting at The Modern for the Grand Crus of Chablis. It was definitely one of the more spectacular tastings I’ve been to in some time. Chablis refers to the northernmost district of Burgundy made of mostly Chardonnay grapes. This is a very cool climate (trust me – you don’t go for a tan) that produces wines with high acidity and lacks a lot of the fruity flavors Chardonnay might have in a warmer place like California. The minerality of Chablis is quite unique. You get something like flint, limestone even a seashell with the terroir there. The Grand Crus we were tasting did have an influence of oak though typically Chablis relies more on stainless steel.

To the wines!

From Domaine des Malandes wine grower Lyne Marchive showed off some of her astounding Grand Cru wines including a Les Clos 2009 and the Vaudesir 1996. The textures of these two wines were quite unique, you could really smell and taste that flintiness from the terroir. However, the Les Clos had this wonderful floral and petrol quality to it that I could not shake. Aged in 100% oak barrels you can definitely get a hint of vanilla on the nose and the palate. A stupendous wine.

Next we have the Chateau Grenouilles, an estate at the foot of the Grenouilles hillside that became a part of La Chablisienne in 2003. Easily my favorite wine I tasted was the Chateau Grenouilles 2005 because of the ripeness of the subtle fruit flavors. On the nose I got green apples, grass and a stone-quality I couldn’t quite place that my host referred to as peel. On the palate the wine came off concentrated, a nice balance of fruit and acid. It was even a little butter-y and toast-y.

And kudos for choosing my favorite restaurant in the city as our hosts!