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Domaine Séguinot Bordet, Chablis 1er Cru “Fourchaume”

Burgundy, France 2018 (750mL)
$36.00
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Domaine Séguinot Bordet, Chablis 1er Cru “Fourchaume”

Here is perhaps the most surefire “hack” I can think of for finding value in Burgundy: Look for wines from the Premier Cru “Fourchaume” in Chablis. I was so blown away by the QPR (quality-to-price ratio) of this 2018 from Séguinot Bordet, I looked back through our offer history to see if we’ve ever managed to find Premier Cru of this pedigree at this price—and wouldn’t you know it, there were a few other Fourchaumes in the same range! 
Given how steadily the wines of Chablis have improved in recent vintages, not to mention the industry-wide inflation afflicting the whole world of wine, I’m genuinely shocked—but nevertheless elated—that wines like today’s offering still exist. It’s one of the first 2018s we’ve tasted, and all signs point to more delicious drinking ahead of us. As Master of Wine Tim Atkin noted in Decanter magazine, ’18 was a warm and generous vintage: “After the hail- and frost-imposed penury of 2016 and 2017,” he wrote, “nature was munificent this time, filling cellars to overflowing.” That’s great news for us, especially when the wines over-deliver like this one. We grabbed as much as we could so you can feel free to stock up—this is one of the best white Burgundy bargains I’ve come across in a long, long time.
Look at a map of Chablis and you’ll see why this wine is so noteworthy: Along with the Premier Cru “Montée de Tonnerre,” Fourchaume is almost immediately adjacent to the Chablis Grand Crus along the “right,” or eastern, banks of the Serein River. Fourchaume is a relatively large site, with a less uniform aspect than the Grand Crus (which face south/southwest), but, as has been proved time and again, wines from Fourchaume regularly rival the Grand Crus in breadth and intensity. A ripe vintage like ’18 offers the perfect opportunity for this vineyard to shine.

Domaine Séguinot Bordet has an incredibly deep history in Chablis, with records dating back to the 1590s. Young proprietor/winemaker Jean-Francois Bordet is thought to be the 19th (!) generation of his family to make wine in the village of Maligny, and the estate as currently comprised covers 14 hectares of vineyards across a range of Chablis terroirs. The family’s parcel in Fourchame is in a part of the vineyard where it curves around to the southeast, with vines averaging between 45-60 years of age, and the combination of exposition and vine age is evident in the wine: It is broad-shouldered and generous, even at this young stage, with a creamy mid-palate lifted on a bright wave of freshness. It’s a great example of the combination of richness and tension you get in well-made, “modern” Chablis; the minerality is there in full effect, but there’s a layer of fruit concentration that often went missing in years past.

Today’s vibrant ’18 was fermented and aged on its lees in stainless steel tanks, lending it a beautiful texture than will continue to deepen over time. In the glass, it shines a deep straw-gold with light green reflections at the rim, with a rich and fruit-driven nose of yellow apple, salted lemon, acacia flower, raw hazelnut, bread dough, fresh cream, and of course the crushed rock/crushed oyster shell minerality typical of great Chablis. It is a lush and satisfying style, but there is plenty of racy freshness to preserve it for 5-7 years (or more). If you’re enjoying it now, decant it about 30 minutes before serving in Burgundy stems at 50 degrees, to allow its full range of aromas and flavors to shine. Roast chicken, halibut, a tray of freshly shucked oysters…it’s hard to think of something that wouldn’t be delicious with this wine. It is spot-on in every way and poised to be a staple of your rotation for some time to come. Make some room and take as much as you can afford! Cheers!
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceChablis Premier Cru
Soil
Kimmeridgian Limestone
Farming
Organic
Blend
Chardonnay
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
None
TEMP.
50
Glassware
White Wine or Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2025+
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Veal/Chicken/Fish 'Francese'

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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