Winemaker Notes
Blanchot called "couste de blanchot" in 1537, comes from the Germanic word "clear". This climate undoubtedly takes its name from the stony nature of the soil, composed of whitish limestone, and the light-colored clay-limestone subsoil. The climate faces south-east, on the slopes of a cool, well-ventilated valley that receives only morning sunshine. The limestone soils drain well.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very deep and subtle, with a wealth of fine floral aromas underlined by leesy complexity. Excellent ripeness, but also a wonderful elegance and herbal coolness on the finely chiseled, medium-bodied palate. Fascinating delicacy and precision in the long finish. From the only Chablis grand cru vineyard that faces southeast rather than southwest. Fermented and matured 75% in stainless steel tanks and 25% in used oak barrique casks. Drink or hold.
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Vinous
The 2022 Chablis Blanchot Grand Cru saw half the crop aged in barrel for 15 to 18 months. It has a well-defined and energetic bouquet, more malic than its peers—green apple and fresh pears. The palate is well balanced with a tangy entry, just missing some acidity toward the middle, where tension consequently falls away. It ends up more akin to a standard Chablis, whereas the nose promises more.
The Maison and Domaine of Simonnet-Febvre were founded in 1840 by Jean Febvre, a barrel maker by trade from Montbard. In the early days, the house was known for its sparkling Chardonnays from Chablis, known today as Crémant de Bourgogne. Over the years, the Febvres acquired holdings in some of the greatest terroirs in Chablis. Today, the Domaine comprises approximately 9 acres, crowned by a 2/3-acre plot in the Grand Cru vineyard of Les Preuses, with 3.5 acres of Premier Cru Mont de Milieu and 4.7 acres of communal Chablis vineyards. Maison Louis Latour acquired Simonnet-Febvre in 2003. Since its purchase, the Latours have entirely renovated the winemaking facilities, installing new stainless steel tanks and pneumatic presses. The vineyards have been reworked with the same sustainable vineyard practices utilized in Latour's 125-acre domain in the Côte d'Or. Maison Louis Latour also hired a talented new winemaker, Jean-Philippe Archambaud.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
The source of the most racy, light and tactile, yet uniquely complex Chardonnay, Chablis, while considered part of Burgundy, actually reaches far past the most northern stretch of the Côte d’Or proper. Its vineyards cover hillsides surrounding the small village of Chablis about 100 miles north of Dijon, making it actually closer to Champagne than to Burgundy. Champagne and Chablis have a unique soil type in common called Kimmeridgian, which isn’t found anywhere else in the world except southern England. A 180 million year-old geologic formation of decomposed clay and limestone, containing tiny fossilized oyster shells, spans from the Dorset village of Kimmeridge in southern England all the way down through Champagne, and to the soils of Chablis. This soil type produces wines full of structure, austerity, minerality, salinity and finesse.
Chablis Grands Crus vineyards are all located at ideal elevations and exposition on the acclaimed Kimmeridgian soil, an ancient clay-limestone soil that lends intensity and finesse to its wines. The vineyards outside of Grands Crus are Premiers Crus, and outlying from those is Petit Chablis. Chablis Grand Cru, as well as most Premier Cru Chablis, can age for many years.