William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2022

Domaine William Fevre farms 78 hectares in Chablis, in northern Burgundy close to Champagne, and is known for expressing individual sites. This wine comes from Montee de Tonnerre, one of the most respected Premier Cru climats, a hillside above the Serein valley. The soils are Kimmeridgian marl, a fossil-rich mix of limestone and clay that gives Chablis its stony, saline signature. The cool continental climate and slow ripening preserve high acidity and a taut, mineral frame. The wine is aged largely in tank and older oak, so the fruit and minerality stay to the fore with only a light textural influence from the barrel. Malolactic fermentation softens the acidity into a rounder, more integrated feel. The colour is pale with green tints, and the nose shows lemon, green apple and a clear oyster-shell salinity over a flinty note. The palate is dry and precise, with citrus fruit carried on firm acidity and a long, chalky, mineral finish. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees in a white Burgundy glass.