William Fèvre - Chablis 2020

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

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 unique to Chablis’s Kimmeridgian limestone. These wines are often enjoyable when young but age impeccably over time.

Decanter

About the wine:

Notes of lemon, floral undertones, coconut water, pear, and a vibrant acidity with steely notes that lingers into a youthful finish.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Produced from 46 hectares of vines with an average age of 45 years, Fèvre’s 2020 Chablis Village is a rare example of a wine that combines quantity and quality. Offering aromas of white flowers, light honey, bread dough, and fresh pastries, it is medium-bodied, briny, and harmonious, with bright acidity and a finely balanced, elegant, and intensely aromatic profile.

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

Owned by the Henriot Group, this estate is the largest owner of Chablis grands crus, with more than fifteen hectares. Its vast vineyard and diverse range of great 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, vinification and aging are skillfully divided for each cuvée between barrels—never new—and stainless steel tanks. Eschewing any distinctive “signature” style, the wines captivate through their 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.

Wine Spectator

Burghound

Jancis Robinson

Vinous

About the wine:

The 2020 Chablis Village comes from 50 different plots averaging about 50 years old, most of which were planted in the late 1960s. The Granny Smith apple aroma, simple yet well-defined, is light and airy. The palate is lively and taut, with notes of citrus, lemon, and salt. The finish is very tart and doesn’t linger very long, but it conveys a satisfying energy at this level.

James Suckling

About the wine:

It offers aromas of cookies, sliced apples, grapefruit pulp, and crushed stones. Mineral and concentrated, with a medium-bodied structure and excellent texture. It also has a lingering finish. Ready to drink now.

Tim Atkin