The ‘Petit Chablis’ designation is applied to vineyards at higher elevations and along the edges of the limestone plateau that makes up Chablis. These higher-elevation/outlier sites are scattered throughout the zone, often not far from big-name Grand and Premier Crus, and the main distinguishing characteristic is the type of limestone they’re rooted in. Whereas the prime sites in the zone sit on white, chalky, Kimmeridgian limestone mixed with clay, Petit Chablis sites feature harder, browner, Portlandian limestone (a ‘younger,’ less fertile deposit). Grown at altitudes between 230 and 280 meters, Petit Chablis wines are traditionally considered to be even more fiercely mineral than their “bigger” brethren. Christophe’s Petit Chablis parcel sits upslope from the Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre—one of the three Premier Crus he now works with and one with a Portlandian/Kimmeridgian mix in its soils.

As my friend Ted Vance, the wine’s importer, says, there’s nothing ‘petite’ about this wine. My experience with Christophe has always been that the wines punch well above their weight class, and this 2015 is no exception. In the glass it is a classic pale straw-gold with green reflections at the rim, and on the nose the first thing that leaps out is the pronounced, focused minerality. The fruit notes are largely ‘green’—green apple, green plum, lime—and mingle with notes of blanched hazelnut, oyster shell, salted lemon, citrus pith, and wet stones. It is by no means a behemoth but by Petit Chablis standards it has amazing depth and texture, the acidity electric (of course) but not dominant or excessively drying. My play with this wine is to decant it about an hour before serving and letting it warm up to a good 60 degrees or more. Served in big Burgundy bowls at this slightly warmer temperature, its texture fleshes out nicely and its savory terroir notes really come to the fore. It is crystalline and energizing white wine with a pronounced mineral savor. Check it out with this simple recipe for olive oil-poached fish. A more elegant, elemental food-and-wine pairing would be tough to come by.