Chablis is designated into four quality levels; these are determined by location, soil, and sun exposure of the vineyard site. These levels, in ascending order, are indicated on the label as: Petit Chablis, Village, Premier Cru or Grand Cru. Generally, but not always, the higher the elevation of the vineyard, the more rich and complex, and oftentimes, the better the wine. Of all the individual vineyards in the Chablis region, the French government has determined 79 earn the title of Premier Cru, although many of the lesser known sites are bottled under 17 better known Premier Cru (1er Cru) names. Today’s wine brings us to one of those elite, 1er Cru vineyard sites, Mont de Milieu. 

Perched on the same side of the River Serein and less than a mile from the Grand Cru vineyard of Blanchot, Mont de Milieu is an incredible Premier Cru that offers serious Chablis. With a name that translates to, “the middle mountain,” this south-southwest facing slope served as the border between the Duchy of Bourgogne and the Comté de Champagne and the terroir is just as rich, boasting the same Kimmeridgian chalk concentration as many of its Grand Cru neighbors. In the hands of brothers Xavier and Jérôme of Domaine Garnier the quality of this property has been lifted to ever further heights. The grapes for this particular bottling are all hand-harvested then gently pressed before the juice is fermented in stainless steel without the addition of synthetic yeasts. The wine is then briefly matured for twelve months in a blend of 70% used 600-liter oak barrels and 30% stainless steel tanks before release the following year.

 

Today’s wine, 2013 Garnier Chablis 1er Cru, “Mont de Milieu,” announces itself with intense and slightly tropical aromatics. Ripe yellow apple, unripe pineapple, oyster shells, fresh acacia flowers, crushed white rocks, white peach, lemon rind and honey are all present in harmony. The palate offers flavors of ripe yellow apple, crushed seashells, white nectarine pit and candied lemon with an incredibly dense and viscous texture. The wine’s color is a light straw core with slight green reflections on rim. This is a wine to be served with fresh raw seafood, but due to its impressive density, I might also recommend grilled fish, or even rotisserie chicken, with lemon and grilled vegetables. Ideally, I would recommend decanting for 20-30 minutes before serving in a Burgundy stem at cellar temperature (55 F), or a touch colder if you wish. If you haven’t enjoyed a bottle of great Chablis recently, today’s selection will remind you why this is one of the greatest wine regions on Earth.