Chablis | Burgundy, France

Saturday 26th July 2.00pm-5.00pm

Chablis | Burgundy, France
Join us this week as we chase away the winter blues with a stellar lineup of Chablis from three wonderful vignerons.
 
Saturday 26th July
2.00pm-5.00pm
 
Open on the day:
 
'22 Domaine Ventoura Petit Chablis $58
'21 Domaine Ventoura Chablis 1er Cru ‘Mont de Milieu’ $105
'21 Domaine Thierry Laffay Chablis 'Vieilles Vignes' $72
'21 Domaine Thierry Laffay Chablis 1er Cru ‘Vaillons’ $89
'22 Billaud-Simon Chablis $85
'22 Billaud-Simon Chablis ‘Tete d’Or’ $110
 
Enjoy a 10% discount when you purchase any three bottles on the day.
 
Hosted by Ian Barr from Euan McKay Wine Merchant, and free of charge.


Chablis | Burgundy, France
 
Tucked between Paris and Beaune, the village of Chablis lies in a quiet pocket of northern Burgundy, where gentle hills stretch along the banks of the Serein River. It’s a place of calm, cool beauty, and home to one of the world’s most distinct expressions of Chardonnay. Far removed from the richer, rounder styles often found further south, Chablis offers a more restrained, mineral-driven take on the grape—shaped as much by its climate and soils as by centuries of perseverance.
 
As the northernmost region of Burgundy, Chablis sits on the edge of what’s viable for quality winegrowing in France. The cool temperatures and long growing season create wines with tension and elegance, marked by citrus, green apple, and a saline, stony character that reflects the limestone-rich soils underfoot. Much of the region's vineyards rest on ancient Kimmeridgian marl, a type of clay and limestone filled with tiny fossilised oyster shells. This unique geological makeup helps define Chablis’ signature purity and clarity, lending the wines a sense of place that is unmistakable.
 
Chablis’ story is one of resilience. In the 19th century, the region was dealt blow after blow—powdery mildew, phylloxera, two world wars, and the rise of cheaper wines from the south transported via the Marseille-Paris railway. By the mid-20th century, the local vineyards had nearly vanished. In 1956, the winter was so harsh that locals skied down the grand cru slopes, and the following harvest was entirely lost to frost. But slowly, Chablis came back. With the arrival of frost protection systems, mechanisation, and renewed investment, the region began to rebuild its reputation and vineyards.
 
Today, the Chablis appellation is divided into four tiers: Petit Chablis, Chablis, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru. The best sites are those facing south or southwest, particularly the grand cru slopes just north of town. These receive the most sunlight and are better protected from the cold, allowing grapes to ripen more fully. While the classification system gives a general guide to quality, the real hallmark of excellence in Chablis still lies in the hands of the grower and the nuance of each vintage.
 
At its best, Chablis is a wine of precision—bright, clean, and bracing, with subtle layers that evolve with age. It’s often aged in stainless steel or neutral oak to preserve its freshness, and many top examples go through full malolactic fermentation to soften the naturally high acidity. The wines may appear delicate, but they have the structure and minerality to evolve beautifully over time.
Despite the challenges of climate, history, and shifting markets, Chablis has emerged as a beacon for lovers of fine white wine. Its appeal lies not in flash or opulence, but in its quiet confidence—expressing Chardonnay in its purest form, and offering a taste of one of Burgundy’s most storied landscapes with every glass.

Domaine Billaud-Simon
 

One of Chablis’s most prestigious and historic estates, Domaine Billaud‑Simon was founded in 1815 by Charles Louis Noël Billaud. After over a century of family stewardship, the domaine became part of the Faiveley group in 2014, bringing in a renewed focus on quality while maintaining the estate’s heritage. Today it spans around 17 hectares, including four Grand Cru (Les Clos, Les Preuses, Vaudésir, Les Blanchots) and four Premier Cru holdings such as Montée de Tonnerre, Mont de Milieu, Fourchaume, and Vaillons.

Since 2014, winemaker Olivier Bailly has been overseeing all day-to-day operations, implementing more precise elevage and bottling in-house with a modern facility—steps that have underscored the estate’s reputation for refined, terroir-driven Chablis. Olivier’s wines are marked by sophistication, balance, and tension, and critics describe them as cool, crisp, and concentrated with impressive ageing potential of 5–15 years. Under his stewardship, the estate continues to blend modern techniques with a deep respect for the region’s ancient terroirs.

The Wines

'22 Billaud-Simon Chablis $85
Sourced from a selection of parcels across the Chablis AOC, this wine is grown on Kimmeridgian soils, rich in fossilized seashells. Fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel, it reflects Billaud-Simon’s hallmark style—tense, mineral, and linear—capturing the purest expression of the region’s geology.

'22 Billaud-Simon Chablis ‘Tete d’Or’ $110

‘Tête d’Or’ is a special cuvée sourced from old vines within the heart of the Chablis appellation, close to premier cru sites. The vineyards sit on prime slopes of Kimmeridgian limestone and clay, giving this wine both texture and finesse. Aged on fine lees for added depth, it is a benchmark example of village-level Chablis with notable concentration and balance.

Domaine Thierry Laffay
 

A true artisan estate in Chablis village, Domaine Thierry Laffay was established in 1978 and remains in the heart of town, where 7 hectares of vineyards are carefully tended under a lutte raisonnée approach. Thierry handles every detail—from vine to bottle—utilizing indigenous yeasts for fermentation, stainless steel elevage, and a full malolactic in spring, ensuring minimal cellar intervention and allowing the vintage and terroir to shine.

The estate welcomes visitors with its vaulted cellars and upholds the Vignerons Indépendants ethos, emphasising simplicity, authenticity, and passion. Thierry’s daughters, Mélanie and Maïlys, joined in 2024, continuing a generational tradition of Chablis winemaking. Wines from the estate are celebrated for vibrant acidity, minerality, and elegant precision, with critics noting a “near-creamy texture” balanced by a crisp, stony finish—hallmarks of exceptional Chablis. 

The Wines

'21 Domaine Thierry Laffay Chablis 'Vieilles Vignes' $72
Sourced from 60+ year-old vines grown on Kimmeridgian soils near the village of Chablis, this cuvée showcases the depth and concentration achieved from old rootstock. Fermentation and aging are conducted in stainless steel to preserve the terroir expression, highlighting the old vine minerality and refined structure.
 
'21 Domaine Thierry Laffay Chablis 1er Cru ‘Vaillons’ $89

From the left bank of the Serein, Vaillons is known for its southeast exposure and clay-limestone soils over classic Kimmeridgian marl. The site produces wines with energy and fine acidity. This wine is made with minimal intervention in stainless steel to showcase the vineyard’s natural lift and precision.

Domaine Ventoura

 

Nestled in Fontenay-près-Chablis, Domaine Ventoura has blossomed from humble beginnings into a beacon of terroir-driven winemaking. Founded in 1953 by Auguste Ventoura—a farmer who planted his first Chardonnay vines alongside sheep and cows—the estate now spans 11 hectares, including Petit Chablis, Chablis, and Premier Cru sites like Fourchaume and Mont de Milieu Auguste’s son, Claude, expanded the holdings, while grandson Thomas joined in 2009, launching the estate’s own labels in 2014, stepping out from the local cooperative to focus on expressing the land with greater clarity.

Today, Thomas and Claude practice sustainable viticulture on the famed Kimmeridgian marl and limestone soils, avoiding herbicides and insecticides in favour of organic approaches The domaine produces around 40,000 bottles annually, using a mix of stainless steel and small-batch French oak depending on the vintage and terroir. Their wines are praised for bright minerality, sense of place, and an elegant restraint that showcases Fontenay’s character with finesse.

The Wines

'22 Domaine Ventoura Petit Chablis $58
Grown on Portlandian limestone soils at higher elevations around Fontenay-près-Chablis, this wine reflects the cooler, wind-exposed terroir typical of Petit Chablis. The domaine uses stainless steel for fermentation and élevage to maintain clarity and freshness, emphasizing citrus and mineral elements drawn from the chalky soils.

'21 Domaine Ventoura Chablis 1er Cru ‘Mont de Milieu’ $105
Mont de Milieu sits on the right bank of the Serein River and benefits from southern exposure and classic Kimmeridgian marl soils. The vineyard's elevated position and excellent drainage yield structured wines with tension and aging potential. Vinification is carried out in stainless steel with extended lees contact to enhance complexity without oak influence.
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