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Chablis
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Once the center of a much larger winemaking region, the small, far north appellation of Chablis has not let its diminished size hinder the hugeness of its wines.
Although today, there are a few realities that make Chablis less well known than it once was. First, there's been an extraordinary proliferation of Chardonnays from just about every serious winemaking country of the world. With the field as broad as it is, both within and outside of France, there are a great number of good wines out there competing for consumers' attention.
This has meant that even in France, Chablis is also no longer what it once was—the all-around favorite restaurant wine of Paris. Being situated as they are in the north-central part of the country, the vineyards of Chablis had short and direct routes to the cafes and brasseries of the city. Chablis wine was readily available, and reliable. Today there are hundreds of wines, many shipped by rail from the south of France, that are available to compete for the multitude of thirsty Parisian restaurant goers.
It also hasn't helped that in many places the name Chablis has become so ubiquitously appropriated that it has lost its unique sense of meaning, and thus often comes to only signify the most generic white wine. But existing along with wines named Chablis, that really aren't Chablis, has been a part of the region's history from the beginning. Local impostors made the most of the town's prestigious name as early as the 19th century, using it to sell wine made all over the surrounding department of Yonne. Today the phenomenon mostly occurs in the New World, with Australia and the United States being the biggest offenders. Wines labeled as Chablis have been produced in locations as far apart as New York State, California, and Australia's Hunter Valley. The only thing these wines have in common, however, is that none of them tastes even remotely like the wines made in Chablis.
The geography of Chablis The cool, unpredictable viticultural conditions of Chablis have, in fact, much more in common, both geographically and climatically, with those of Champagne than with those of the rest of Burgundy to the south. Frost is a constant risk there and does, on occasion become severe enough to wipe out the vineyards completely. Today the grapes arc protected by windmills, sprinkler systems, and oil burners, lined up every winter at either end of each row of vines. Even these measures, however, are not always sufficient to guarantee the vines' survival in the event of a really cold snap. A good year, however, produces wines that are a unique combination of freshness and complexity
Classes of ChablisThe appellation, which was created in 1938, comprises four ranks of which the top is grand cru Chablis, with seven named vineyards. Then come the premiers crus, including 40 vineyard names, then Chablis, by far the most common appellation, and finally Petit Chablis, the most basic. In terms of production, the largest percentage, 80%, is composed of wines belonging to the categories Petit Chablis and Chablis. .
Although there are 40 vineyards in the category of Chablis Premier Cru, only 12 of these are considered to be prestigious: Beauroy, Côte de Léchet, Fourchaume, Les Fourneaux, Mélinots, Montée de Tonnerre, Montmains, Monts de Milieu, Vaillons, Vaucoupin, and Vaudevay Vosgros. The even more narrow category of Chablis Grand Cru contains only seven vineyards: Blanchot, Bougros, Grenouilles, Les Clos, Les Preuses, Valmur, and Vaudesir. When shopping for a really good Chablis, these are the definitely the wines to concentrate on.
Styles of ChablisMade only from Chardonnay, a fine Chablis should be bone-dry but not harsh; steely but not austere; rich but not heavy. But above all, there is one word to describe what sets the best Chablis apart from every other Chardonnay produced in the world: minerality. This notion of minerality in wine is difficult to define. It concerns olfactory sensations (flinty aromas), gustatory sensations (freshness) and texture (crystal-clear wine). Minerality is a tactile sensation, not only a perception of flavors, but also a play of tension and energy within which a wine is structured on the palate. Then minerality also evokes a certain form of purity, a crystal-clear appearance of the wine. Descriptors such as gun-flint, flint, iodine, chalk, oysters, and shellfish are sometimes used, but they may only describe part of the experience. One may fully understand the greatness of Chablis when, with a great Premier or Grand Cru, these gunflint flavors are coated with softly sweet honey; the effect can be sensational.
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