Famille Descombe has been rooted in French winemaking since 1905, when the family first began farming in Beaujolais. Five generations later, that heritage stretched north into Chablis: in 2017, Marine Descombe, the winemaker behind the family's acclaimed Beaujolais bottlings, took over a small, historic property in the village of Beine. The estate had spent much of the twentieth century selling grapes to the local cooperative before its previous owners, the Patrice family, began vinifying and bottling their own wine in the early 2000s. Marine renamed the property Domaine Passy Le Clou, a nod to the lieu-dit "Le Clou" on which it sits, and began converting its 30 hectares and 21 individual parcels toward agroecology. Herbicides have been phased out, hedgerows and trees planted to encourage biodiversity, and cover crops sown between the rows; the estate now holds HVE Level 3 certification, France's highest environmental recognition for viticulture. Each parcel is vinified separately by a small team of just seven, an exacting approach meant to let every corner of Chablis's famed Kimmeridgian limestone speak clearly through the glass.
This bottling comes from a single hectare within Beauroy, a Premier Cru climat perched above the left bank of the Serein River on the edge of Chablis. The vines here average 55 years of age and are rooted in steep, well-drained Kimmeridgian clay and limestone, the same fossil-flecked marine soil that runs through the appellation's finest sites. The exposure and the dry winds that sweep the slope keep yields naturally low and concentration high. Grapes are harvested by hand and pressed gently in a pneumatic press, then left to settle naturally before racking into temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, where the wine ferments slowly over four to six months. It rests a further six months or more on its fine lees before bottling, a step that builds texture and depth without ever introducing oak.
Why You'll Love It
- A study in tension and precision, with the coiled energy that defines great Beauroy
- Aromas of acacia blossom and hawthorn mingle with fresh citrus and a distinct flinty edge
- Round and ripe on entry, then pulled taut by a long, saline, mineral-driven finish
- Fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel, so nothing but the vineyard shows through
- Farmed under HVE Level 3 certification, among the more meticulously tended sites in Chablis
- Versatile enough to open tonight with a raw bar spread or hold a few more years in the cellar
How To Serve It
- Chill to 45-50°F, cold enough to keep the acidity bright without muting the aromatics
- No decanting needed; a few minutes of air in the glass is all it takes to open up
- Pour into a Burgundy stem to give the wine room to show its floral and mineral layers
- Pairs beautifully with chilled oysters on the half shell or grilled langoustines finished with brown butter
- Equally at home with a wedge of aged Comte or a simply prepared piece of turbot
