Cyril Gautheron makes Chablis in its most stripped down form. His pure Chardonnay cuvées are intense and full, but draw their substance from their fruit instead of oak. They show minerality, depth, ripeness, and gorgeous texture.
For years we’ve bought three cuvées: Petit Chablis, Vieilles Vignes, and Vaucoupin 1er cru. Today we add a second premier cru: Montmains. Gautheron’s label for this wine also says Vieilles Vignes, and he’s not kidding — the vines date to the 1930s.
For readers that know Gautheron’s cuvées, Montmains shows all the intense, boldness of Vaucoupin, with an even silkier and deeper texture. The bottle we opened yesterday was gorgeous: concentrated essence of Chablis, with notes of seashells, dry lemon zest, and hints of melon.
Decanter’s Master of Wine Tim Aitkin was seriously impressed, awarding 94 points, writing “this is all about texture and fruit intensity rather than oak. Sappy, fresh and intense… lovely focus and zip and leesy, waxy concentration.”
Chablis remains a source for unparalleled value in the wine world — from anywhere else an old-vine cuvée with this concentration and polish would run $75+. Quantities limited, we don’t expect this to be around long.
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Gautheron Chablis 1er “Montmains” 2018
bottle price: $39
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