William Fèvre - Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru Domaine 2018

Didier Séguier, who has been in charge since the estate was acquired by Bouchard Père et Fils of Beaune nearly a quarter of a century ago, has significantly improved the quality of the wines since then. While the vineyard holdings are undoubtedly the finest in the entire Chablis region—both in Premier Crus and Grands Crus—it is the meticulous and rigorous work in the vineyard and in the cellar that allows the winemakers to extract the full essence of the minerality characteristic of Chablis’s Kimmeridgian limestone. These wines are often enjoyable when young but age impeccably over time.

I note the optimistic drinking window I established a year ago; the 2018 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre offers aromas of lemon oil, fresh bread, crisp green apple, white flowers, damp pits, and oyster water. Medium-bodied to full-bodied, silky and crisp, it is expansive and dynamic, with tangy notes, subtle depth at its core, and a long, savory finish.

 

With notes of fresh mint and a luminous body featuring a briny sparkle, it gets right to the heart of the matter with its clean, taut profile.

Owned by the Henriot Group, this estate is the largest owner of Chablis grands crus, with more than fifteen hectares. Its vast vineyard and range of exceptional terroirs are brought to their fullest potential through meticulous management: tilling the soil, hand-harvesting at the optimal time, and regulating yields. Passionate about his vineyards, Didier Seguier, who has led the estate since 1998, produces pure, well-defined, and crisp Chablis wines, using organic methods (certification pending) and even biodynamic practices for the Premier Crus and Grands Crus. With the exception of the Petit Chablis, winemaking and aging are skillfully divided for each cuvée between barrels—never new—and stainless-steel tanks. Eschewing any distinctive “signature,” the style captivates through its respect for the terroir and the expression of minerality, which have been better preserved since the estate gradually switched the entire range to Diam’s corks between 2005 and 2010. The transition to organic farming is underway.