Region: Chablis, Burgundy, France

Varietal: 100% Chardonnay

Tasting notes:The Bouchard brothers source perfect, older-vine fruit from vineyards near the villages of Chablis, La Chapelle Vaupelteigne and Beines, the “heart” of the Chablis region and some of its best, chalkiest and purest soils. This is a “basic” Chablis that is more than a cut above — texture, intensity, flavor, it’s all there. Aromas of lemon zest and lemon blossom, crushed oyster shells, light spice. Medium-bodied, fresh and long. Drink as an aperitif; or with dishes like grilled fish and herbs; roasted chicken; and fresh cheeses.

Producer: Romain and Damien Bouchard founded their winemaking estate only in 2016, yet they are the fourth generation of their clan to toil the classic and chalky, Kimmeridgian soils of Chablis. For generations, the family provided other winemakers with peerless Chardonnay fruit, pulled from impressive holdings in grand cru and premier cru vineyards, planted carefully by family hands. Today these vines are in their prime, and with a passion to craft Chablis wines from living soils and healthy grapes, according to “simple and natural” methods and a good dose of “observation and patience,” the brothers – who call themselves “perfectionists” – have set a new, higher standard for the character-driven wines of Chablis.

Vineyard and Winemaking: The family maintains some 70 acres of vineyard land in the “heart” of Chablis, the entirety of which began its organic conversion in 2015; the estate was officially certified in 2018. Holdings include some four acres of grand cru vineyards, and around 20 acres of premier cru land; with the rest in general Chablis and Petit Chablis. All grapes (at all levels) are harvested by hand, and sorted both in the fields and in the cellar. Fermentation happens on indigenous yeasts, in either temperature-controlled tank or French oak barrel. Wines in general spend some 18 months on fine lees; and are neither fined nor cold stabilized. Only a moderate amount of sulfur is added at bottling. Wines are lightly filtered.