Yesterday morning we drove up to Chablis to visit Cyril Gautheron. He had been up since 2am guarding his vineyards against frost, but somehow managed a warm handshake and a smile for our 9:30 appointment.
Gautheron approaches his winemaking with fanatical precision. He farms over 65 different plots of vines across the Chablis appellation, and vinifies each in its own separate tank. We tasted only about 15; the night before Cyril had done them all.
The variations between each tank are subtle but distinct, and Cyril completes his final act of blending masterfully. The results are perfect Chablis cuvées, each different, and each marrying classic minerality with ripe fruit and vibrant texture.
The Gautherons have made wine in Chablis for two centuries, but we can’t imagine their wines ever being quite this good. The 2017s combines intense fruit, refreshing minerality, and a lively, dry energy. They’re a plunge in a chilly ocean, and then a dry breeze as the sun warms you back up.
The 2017 Vieilles Vignes is bursting and delicious — it combines chalk and lemon in the nose, with bright clear notes and a touch of herbs. The mouth is precise, elegant, and pure, with notes of lime rind, saline, and dry Chardonnay fruit.
Cyril has guided the his vines through frost, hail, flowering and harvest; he’s blended them into an exquisitely balanced cuvée. We’ve found them and brought them to a warehouse in Boston. All that’s left to do is pull the cork…
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Gautheron Chablis VV 2017
bottle price: $25
FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES