Can’t stop, won’t stop—not when it comes to our obsessive pursuit of meticulously crafted, mineral-laden white Burgundy, most notably in the form of exquisitely grown Chablis. Perhaps still fresh in your minds are the two previously sold out offers from committed classicist Domaine Gautheron, most recently their deeply delicious Chablis “Vieilles Vignes” from the highly touted 2018 vintage. Well, today we deliver the crown jewel of this value-priced trifecta as we step you up the Chablis classification ladder without bringing your bank account down to its knees.
This wine exemplifies everything we’re after when we’re shopping for elite-level Chablis: It’s the bottom of the 9th inning, game’s tied, and high-priced superstars Dauvissat and Raveneau are both out of the game. Unheralded, under-priced Gautheron comes in to pinch-hit, digs into the batter’s box, stares down the barrel of the first pitch, and, without flinching, crushes it. Fact is, in the right hands, a top Premier Cru in Chablis will outclass many a Grand Cru effort from a less-ambitious grower. This ’18 is indisputable proof of that. It’s a home run at this price, possessing a mind-boggling combination of an intensely complex core cradled in layers of polished richness. Take notice as it struts its $52 stuff in the face of triple-priced Meursault, Puligny, Chassagne, and (dare we say) Grand Cru Chablis, exclaiming, “game over!”
A decade ago, the domaines of François Raveneau and Vincent Dauvissat were considered incomparable and virtually unrivaled. But, great as they are, they’re no longer alone at the top. In fact, I’d say that most of the very best white Burgundy values we offer are from Chablis. Our list of noteworthy producers in the region includes Domaine Garnier & Fils, Guy Robin, Daniel-Etienne Defaix, Domaine de la Meulière, and, of course, Gautheron: Based in the village of Fleys and situated a few kilometers southeast of Chablis, Domaine Gautheron’s winery resides in plain sight of the slope containing the region’s band of Grand Cru vineyards. Five generations preceded Alain Gautheron but it was his vision to put the wheels in motion as the domaine kicked into full production in the late 1970s. His talented son, Cyril, joined in 2000 and today the estate has grown to 25 primely situated hectares spanning the entire range from Petit Chablis, village-level Chablis, several Premier Crus to Grand Crus Valmur, Vaudésir, and Preuses.
These days, Cyril runs the show and his efforts to revamp the cellar with dozens of small format stainless-steel tanks has enabled the domaine to vinify parcels separately to capture the myriad nuances of their wide-ranging vineyards. More importantly, the family farms all their vineyards using the principles of lutte raisonnée, whereby yields are kept lower by green harvest and pruning, no chemical weed killers are used, and natural methods are employed to help vines be more self-protecting from pests and disease. This domaine embraces the magic implicit to the terroir of Chablis, predicated on the prehistoric, fossil-packed Kimmeridgian limestone soils of the region.
The Premier Cru “Les Fourneaux” vineyard sits directly across the road from the Gautheron winery, aptly named for its warm microclimate (the word translates to ‘furnace’ or ‘oven’)
The wines from this site tend to exhibit ripe, tropical fruits without shedding the revered Chablisienne mineralité and structural acidity. Cyril Gautheron keenly maps the strategy for hand harvesting their various parcels (all from 75+-year-old vines) ranging equally from full south-facing (warmer) to southeastern exposures (slightly cooler) in order to balance the luscious flavors with a much desired, essential framework he projects for the resultant wine. Once in their gleaming, hospital-clean facility, Gautheron ferments most parcels (80%) individually in his prized temperature-controlled tanks with the exacting remainder (20%) fermented in seasoned oak barrels. After several months of maturation, this cuvée was scrupulously blended, gently filtered, and bottled. Now, it’s just aching to deliver you a one-two punch!
Today’s ‘18 Fourneaux VV is a straight-up gorgeous Burgundy bombshell, dazzling and multi-faceted. Its classic appearance—pale white gold with light green sparks flashing toward the rim—shines crystal clear in the glass. A stampede of aromatics bursts forward; notes of fresh apricot, sun-gorged mango, subtle vanilla yet with a sweeping echo of smoky white pepper. A second nose-dive reveals undercurrents of flint and fennel. Medium-plus body is buffed smooth with rich, mid-palate exotic fruit keenly corralled by a classic, marine-influenced saline edge. A lengthy, lip-smacking finish leaves you begging for more. However, to experience the full effect of this fiery tango dance, I strongly suggest you decant this wine for at least 45 minutes or more and serve at no less than 55-60 degrees in Burgundy stems. Once you do, don’t be fooled by the here-and-now accessibility of this wine today. Its dense fruit concentration is perfectly intertwined with layered minerality, surely destined to integrate further over the next 2-5 years and beyond. We locked up all this affordable luxuriousness so you can revel in some today and stash some for a few tomorrows. Now pan-sear some sea scallops with a citrus beurre blanc or fashion a creamy risotto with some herbed shitake mushrooms and get your Chablis dancing shoes on!
