Domaine Alain Gautheron Chablis 1er Cru "Les Fourneaux" 2022

Alcohol : 13%

Grape(s) : Chardonnay

Localisation : Chablis, Burgundy, France

Tasting Notes : A tropical hint of ripeness on the nose of this wine fleetingly evokes passion fruit before lemony brightness takes over. The palate comes in with almost plump, rounded richness, suggesting Meyer lemon. Lemon smoothness persists on the clean, precise finish.

Food Pairing : Enjoy these wines with oysters, shellfish, sushi, or ham.

The Domain : Alain Gautheron is the fifth generation to cultivate vines in Fleys, a village of 160 inhabitants, in Chablis. At one time, the inhabitants of Fleys were called “Gougueys” from the dialect word for snail and, in fact, M. Gautheron has some extraordinary examples of fossilized snails exhibited in his tasting room. His winery and home are located directly across from the 2 hectare 1er Cru “Les Fourneaux” vineyard. Grapes are fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel vats. The wine stays in contact with the lees for about nine months after which they are fined, filtered and bottled. M. Gautheron’s winery is outfitted with modern equipment, yet he takes a traditional approach to making Chablis as exemplified in the simplicity of his methods and the maturing of the wine before bottling. His wines are steely and mineral driven displaying lots of focus and crisp acidity with floral, cool-climate orchard fruit, and citrus flavors. There is great depth of flavor to the wines combined with ample body and richness, balancing the sharp acidity perfectly.