It didn’t come as a surprise recently when I ran across more confusion
amongst the masses over the touchy subject of Chablis. Are we still in
the shadows of those dark days when everyone’s parents kept a jug of
“it” on hand for everyday use? Or have legions of new-world chardonnays
confused us even more; some just oozing with oak-induced and buttery
flavors, while other, newer styles are now touted as “naked,” the
latest hip term in ‘unoaked’ wine-speak?
Even with all this buzzing in the modern era of winemaking and
wine-consumption, vignerons in Chablis, France, have quietly been
making benchmark styles of chardonnay like they have done since the
year 1114, when Cistercian monks planted the first vineyards. The
climate is varied, with hot summers and cold winters, with the
possibility of harsh frosts. The vines cling to hillsides with
southwest exposures to achieve ripeness, growing in kimmeridgian soils
of limestone, clay and crushed oyster shells from an ancient sea-bed.
The wines produced were old world: layered fruits, richness, acidity
and minerality. They were very reflective of terroir. But Chablis was
always overshadowed by the wines of the Côte de Beaune, to the
southeast, in the heart of Burgundy. More importantly, in recent times,
between 1885 and 1960, the phylloxera louse nearly destroyed the
Chablis’ wine industry. And during this time, Americans saw the
invasion of the “Chablis Jug.” Now recovered, Chablis has only just
re-emerged onto the world market and thus is only vaguely known to all
as a reliable producer of chardonnay. With new vines and modern styles,
the region can almost be considered new world.
Full Story »
