Chardonnay has taken to the seashell laden, Kimmeridgian limestone soils of Chablis with such aplomb over the centuries that there is really no better place to find soaring, mineral laden versions of this famous grape. Francine Bachelier knows this intrinsically, with a family that has been here for generations and a husband, Olivier Savary, who has a similar ancient connection to the vines and the soil. Most of the wine they make is bottled under the more visible Domaine Savary label, but a small amount of the best stuff gets Francine’s name on the bottle. This Chablis is named for the hoards of wild boar that sometimes descend on the vineyards to gorge themselves–to the chagrin of all the vigneron–because the fruit is irresistible. Small wonder that the wine it produces is too!
Francine Bachelier and her husband Olivier Savary have been at the helm of their winery for several decades now. It was formed by the union of both their family’s parcels after they married in the early 1980s. Most of the wine they make is labeled as Domaine Savary, but thanks to the vagaries and complexities of French inheritance laws, they also bottle a small percentage of wine under Francine’s label–wine made from specific plots and tanks that she hand selects every vintage. Today they are joined by their sons Maxime and Mathieu, who are slowly taking the reins as Francine and Olivier finally begin to consider the eventuality of retirement.
Francine and Olivier’s estate is located in Maligny, a couple miles north of the main village of Chablis, on the backside of the slope where the famous Grand Cru vineyards are. Chablis, the northernmost subregion of Burgundy, has been producing wine since at least the early medieval era when the area’s proximity to the Seine river gave it a near monopoly on the Parisian wine trade. Known for mineral wines with flecks of oyster shell, this region is a world famous white wine destination. Though they have no Grand Cru parcels, their exceptional plots in both Premier Cru and villages appellations always far surpass the norm for their categories.
Like the vast majority of their wines, and Chablis in general, this 100% Chardonnay sees zero oak. The fermentation and aging is entirely in stainless steel tanks, with about six months of lees contact before being bottled with a gentle filtration process in the late spring following the harvest. The goal is to let that sublime, mineral drenched, limestone terroir do all the talking, unencumbered by oak or any other “cellar additions.” And boy does that minerality do some excellent speaking! There really is no better wine to show off the terroir transparency of Chardonnay. Served cool in a Burgundy stem, this textbook Chablis shows classic notes of green and yellow apple, white flowers, lemon zest, flint, sea salt, wet rock, and of course oyster shells. Serve with anything that is super fresh right out of the ocean, or if you aren’t close enough to a large body of water I also love this wine with a lemony roast chicken. Enjoy!
