Grape Variety

Chardonnay.

Vineyard

Site: This wine comes from grapes exclusively harvested on the Drouhin Family Properties. These vineyards are mainly situated in the Valley of Vauvillien, not far from the Grand Crus, between the Premier Crus of Montée de Tonnerre and Mont de Milieu.

History & tradition: in the sixties, when the Chablis vineyards were all but abandoned, Robert Drouhin recognized the potential of this region which had been ravaged by the phylloxera disease a century before. He was one of the first Burgundy propriétaires who set about revitalizing the area.

Soil: the Kimmeridgian limestone contains millions of tiny marine fossils embedded in a kind of whitish mortar which may have been once the bottom of the sea...hundreds of million years ago. This marine origin gives the wines of Chablis their unique flavour.

Drouhin estate: 27.3 ha. (68.25 acres).

Average age of the vines: 24 years.

Viticulture

Biological cultivation since 1990 and biodynamic cultivation since 1999.

Soil maintenance: age-old methods. Ploughing: "buttage" (hilling up around the vine-stocks) in autumn; "débuttage" (ploughing back in spring); work between the rows and the vine stocks done with manual tools only.

Treatment: only authorized products for biological cultivation are used - infusions and macerations of plant materials, sulfur and copper, powdered rock. Natural predators are not eliminated.

Plantation density: 6,250 stocks/ha.

Pruning: double Guyot "Vallée de la Marne" (for its resistance to frost).

Yield: we aim for a lower yield, such as it existed before the new law. This yield is therefore the present maximum yield minus 20%.

Average yield at the Domaine: 55.13hl/ha (the yield currently authorized for the appellation is now 60hl/ha).

Vinification

Harvesting: by hand.

Pressing: very slow so as to respect the fruit. Juices from the last pressings are not retained.

Ageing

Type: stainless steel tank.

Length: 7-8 months.

Throughout the ageing process, decisions are taken only after careful tasting evaluation. The data obtained is completed through technical analysis. As with every other Joseph Drouhin wine, absolute priority is given to the true expression of terroir and character of the vintage.

Tasting note by Véronique Boss-Drouhin

"An elegant wine. Brilliant colour, with hints of green. Typical Chablis nose, where aromas of citrus (lemon) fern and even salty sensations predominate. On the palate: vigorous and lively, but in a soft mode. A lot of finesse and balance".

Vintage

Very small harvest but very nice grapes with excellent maturity, higher degrees of alcohol and levels of acidity than normal. The 2017 wines are lively and mineral. They express a nice freshness on notes of white flowers and white fleshed-fruits. They are very delicate. 2017 promises excellent wines.

Serving

Temperature: 12/13°C (52/53°F).

Cellaring: 1 to 7 years.