Edouard Delaunay Chablis Grand Calcaire 2023

Edouard Delaunay makes Chablis Grand Calcaire from Chardonnay grown on the classic soils of Chablis in northern Burgundy. The name points to the ground itself, Kimmeridgian limestone and marl, packed with the fossils of ancient oyster beds from a sea that once covered the region. This cool, chalky terroir and the northerly climate give Chablis its high acidity and its stony, mineral character. The wine is aged on its lees, the spent yeast cells left after fermentation. Extended contact with these lees, gently stirred, releases mannoproteins that add texture and a fine, subtly bready depth without masking the fruit, keeping the wine broad in the mouth yet taut. Left unoaked, it stays fresh and precise. It shows pale straw with green tints, with a nose of green apple, lemon, pear and a distinct wet-stone minerality. The palate is dry and tightly wound, with citrus and orchard fruit over that saline, flinty core, closing on a long, clean finish. Serve well chilled at 9 to 11 degrees in a white-wine glass.