How often do we get to offer Grand Cru White Burgundy around here? A few times a year, on a good year? The reason is simple: While they can evoke the deepest, most powerful of emotions, they are expensive to an ungodly extent and one must keep their nose to the grindstone if they want an allocation. This is why savvy buyers look to the northern reaches of Burgundy, where Chablis’ cluster of Grand Crus offer unrivaled Chardonnay value.
These terroir-infused gems are worthy of any cellar, wine list, or table, but as you may have guessed, they, too, can be extremely tricky to obtain. That’s especially the case in 2015, a vintage where the heavens opened up and shined a blinding light on Chablis. The unending praise of critics only bolstered the already-high demand of collectors, so most bottles were snatched up instantly, the wines of Garnier & Fils among them. However, during the initial mad dash for these wines, today’s Grand Cru “Vaudesir” was still safely maturing in the confines of Garnier’s cellar. After 22 months of barrel aging, plus a few more in bottle, this stunning Grand Cru was released to the eagerly awaiting world. Just how many? Two barrels’ worth, and if it wasn’t for our enduring loyalty to superstar brothers Xavier and Jérome Garnier, we would’ve never had a chance to get our hands on a case, let alone a bottle. We believe their wines are among the best in Chablis and Burgundy as a whole, and today’s micro-batch Grand Cru proves that to the utmost degree. Enjoy it now or in 20 years—just know that whenever you do pull the cork, an extraordinary experience awaits.
Although the brothers who run Garnier & Fils are ascendant stars in Chablis, the prices for their wines have yet to catch up to their superior quality and pedigree. This is how it goes in historic wine regions like this: It takes time to build a reputation, and Xavier and Jérome Garnier (the ‘fils’ in Garnier & Fils) only took over the family domaine in 1996. They represent a new generation in Chablis focused on sustainable/organic vineyard management and wines that exhibit more depth of fruit expression at every rung of the quality ladder; at the Grand Cru level, there’s a richness and power in today’s wine that is simply incredible.
Amidst a steep, natural amphitheater in the center of Chablis’ seven Grand Crus rests the Grand Cru of Vaudésir. The iconic vineyard produces some of the most long-lived wines in Burgundy and is a steal when compared to Grand Cru whites of Côte de Beaune. The Garnier brothers only farm .3 hectares in Vaudesir and yields are kept exceedingly low. Through traditional winemaking, their sustainably farmed 45-year-old vines are transformed into a pure, uber-concentrated reflection of this storied vineyard site.
Following a manual harvest, Xavier fermented (both alcoholic and malolactic) his “Vaudesir” Chardonnay with indigenous yeasts which took roughly 120 days. Nothing is rushed here. The second step of this traditional, non-interventionist cellar work was 22 months of aging on raw lees in two 600-liter demi-muids. The wine was bottled without filtration in order to provide a pure, unadulterated snapshot of this celebrated Grand Cru vineyard.
With aromatic complexity, texture and an almost incomprehensible display of minerality, this wine offers a staggering expression of place with weight and depth that is rarely encountered in the appellation. The wine pours a deep yellow in the glass with shimmers of silver that move out to a limpid rim. It erupts with gorgeously layered perfumes that read as pineapple, yellow apple slices, salt-preserved Meyer lemon, yellow peach, churned butter, citrus zest, white flowers, crushed rocks, honeysuckle, and subtle spice. For 2015, the acidity is astounding, offering constant vibrancy and mouth-watering freshness. It’s such a powerfully textured Chardonnay: opulent, creamy, taut—exactly what a Grand Cru white Burgundy should be. One sip stretches for miles and lasts for minutes, which speaks well to its aging ability. This is such a pleasurable, hedonistic experience as is, but the real beauty of Grand Cru Chablis is its evolution at 10, even 20 years old. That said, I can’t help but recommend that you open one now. It’s that delicious. After a minimum 30-minute decant, serve in your largest Burgundy stems around a steady 55-degree temperature. Cheers!
