William Fèvre - Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses Domaine 2023

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.

Grown on an east-facing hillside that produces one of the most lively and airy wines in the lineup, the 2023 Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses opens with aromas of oyster juice, orange zest, white flowers, and lemon oil. Medium- to full-bodied, taut, and lively, it displays pronounced minerality, is incisive, and has a striking salinity. The site is so steep that special cable equipment is used for cultivation. 2025–2050

 

Among the grands crus, Les Preuses stands out for its ethereal elegance: it almost feels like walking on chalk. This wine, with its great purity, fully expresses the fruit of the vintage, which subtly complements its minerality. The terroir here will fully reveal itself over time.

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 distinct “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.

It displays a certain richness and real depth of flavor before a pronounced acidity comes to the fore. Promising! It has all the qualities one would expect from a Chablis grand cru, including a long finish. 2029–2043