There are four quality levels of Chablis that are determined by location, soil, and sun exposure of the vineyard site. Listed on the label, here are the four in ascending order: Petit Chablis, Village, Premier Cru and Grand Cru. 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 oftentimes bottled under 17 better known Premier Cru (1er Cru) names. Today’s wine brings us to one of those elite vineyard sites, Montmains, 1er Cru. An important site in Chablis since at least the early 1500s, Montmains translates to, “medium-sized mountain;” the namesake of which is planted on the first and most advantageous slope of the Serein River’s left bank. Its south exposure and slightly higher concentration of clay lends a pronounced creaminess and richness to the wines while the mixture of Kimmeridgian limestone provides the superb minerality Chablis is known for along with pronounced texture and an endless finish.

 

The Collet Family’s roots reach back into the soils of vines and the working of vineyards to 1792. In 1952, Jean created Domaine Jean Collet in Chablis with less than a hectare of vines. He initially sold his harvest to négociants, but began bottling his bounty by 1954 and starting exporting to the US in 1959. By 1979, Jean’s son, Gilles, joined the family operation. I had the pleasure of meeting the astute and charming mustached Gilles over lunch a couple years ago. Everything about him is impressive and his wine delights from the Petit Chablis all the way up to the his Grand Cru. Since 2009, Gilles’ son, Romain, has been part of the family business, which now spans over thirty-seven hectares. Between the two men, Domaine Jean Collet et Fils thrives off of upholding generations-earned traditions while embracing modernist approaches that deliver the best wine possible from their precious vines. In the vineyards, the Collets practice, “reasoned cultivation,” which includes eschewing any chemical herbicides and pesticides as well as embracing manual intervention and maintaining quite low yields in an effort to reap the purest fruit. Although many of Collet’s premier cru wines are aged in neutral oak, this particular Montmains Premier Cru is fermented and aged in stainless steel, which allows the incredibly pure expression of this treasured site to speak for itself.