CHABLIS PREMIER CRU > BOUCHARD Ainé & Fils

CHABLIS PREMIER CRU 2021

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2021 2022

Varietal

The Chardonnay is the only grape variety of the Chablis and Chablis Premier Crus.

Tasting notes

Colour: nice pale golden green colour, limpid and bright.

Nose: it reveals the aromatic wealth of Chablis’ terroir with mineral notes of flint, enhanced by hints of acacia honey.

Palate: the mouth is frank, round, with a touch of honey and a spicy finish ; a wine with character.

Food and wine pairing

This wine is excellent paired with smoked salmon, trout and other freshwater fish, as well as with white meats and creamy cheeses.

Serving suggestions

Serve ideally at a temperature of 12-14°C. (54-57°F.).

Ageing potential

This wine can be enjoyed now or kept in the cellar for the next three years.

Origins

Chablis, situated near Auxerre in the Yonne department, is among the northernmost vineyards of Burgundy. It is thus nearly at the gates of Champagne and the Paris region; which it greatly relied on to create its reputation. Slightly removed from the « heart » of Burgundy’s vineyards, the region of Chablis started to prosper in the 19th century thanks to its waterways; the Yonne and Seine rivers.

It is characterized by producing exclusively white Chardonnay wines and by its geology which is believed to date back to the Kimmeridgian period.

- Soil and subsoil from the upper and middle Kimmeridgian period.
- Alternating layers of limestone and marls.
- Southern exposure.
- Altitude of 250 meters.

Vinification and maturing

The grapes were brought to the winery and pressed delicately in a pneumatic press. The must was then cooled down and left to settle, in order to get rid of the roughest lees. The alcoholic fermentation was lead in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats at a temperature between 18° and 20°C (64°-68°F) in order to keep as much fruit as possible in the wine. The malolactic fermentation was completed in order to mellow its aromas and get less acidity.

Then, the wine was aged on its lees for 18 months with regular pumping over. A small part of the wine (15%) was aged in oak barrels, all of them having already received 1 or 2 vintages to age, so that the oak will leave a discreet imprint on the wine.

Vintage : 2021

The 2021 vintage was a challenge for winegrowers right up until the very last day. From the frost in April, made worse by a very early start to the winegrowing season, right through to the September harvest, it was characterized by some brutal shifts in the weather. Winegrowers had to be extremely reactive and attentive. The only moment of respite came with flowering, which was ideal for fruit formation, and véraison, which was accompanied by sunshine from mid-August. In the end, hard work was rewarded with success, low volumes aside.

Aside from the low yields due to frost, and hail in June in certain parts of the Mâconnais, the grapes were sorted meticulously, both in the vines and in the winery.

Anyway, 2021 is an interesting vintage to work as it requires great technical skill and vinification must be very precise. Although fermentation was rapid, one had to pay a great deal of attention to the extraction of tannins and colour for the reds, and to the aromatic balance of the whites. The impression from the first tastings is that the musts have good aromatic potential and the sugar-acidity ratio suggests a style appreciated by fans of Bourgogne wines.