Chablis is the northernmost growing area of Burgundy, in fact Chablis wines are often defined as Chardonnay wines that come from the cold.
Although it is much closer to the Champagne region, with which it has affinity in terms of climate, soil and environmental conditions, Chablis belongs to the Burgundy wine-growing region.
The history of Chablis wines was born in very distant times, it was in fact the ancient Romans who brought the culture of vine cultivation and its subsequent vinification, at that time was certainly not the Chardonnay grape from which Chablis wine was produced, for that we must wait for the activity of Cistercian monks in 510 AD, in those years saw the light Chablis as we know it today.
Chablis is synonymous of French white wine, and consequently of Chardonnay, Chablis wines are appreciated for their marked acidity, the minerality of the nose and of the sip, with iodine and sapid components that almost recall the sea.
The Chablis wine-growing area is regulated by the French AOC system and is part of the Burgundy region, therefore Chablis wines are to all intents and purposes Burgundy wines, exclusively white wines are produced, therefore Chardonnay based, with the traditional technique of vinification in steel tanks, the use of barrique is not very frequent.
The classification of Chablis wines is like that of Burgundy, from the lowest to the highest we find Petit Chablis, Chablis Village, Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru, the vineyards classified as Premier Cru are 40 but only 12 are those considered of greater prestige: Beauroy, Côte de Léchet, Fourchaume, Les Fourneaux, Mélinots, Montée de Tonnerre, Montmains, Monts de Milieu, Vaillons, Vaucoupin, Vaudevay and Vosgros. Just seven are the vineyards classified as Chablis Grand Cru, the most sought after bottles in the world: Blanchot, Bougros, Les Clos, Grenouilles, Preuses, Valmur and Vaudésirs.
Among the best producers of Chablis are Raveneau, Dauvissat, Fevre and Droin. The prices of Chablis wines are very varied, starting from a few tens of euros of Petit Chablis and Chablis Village, up to several hundred for the fine Chablis such as the Chablis Grand Cru of Raveneau.
