It is the most boring, yet scintillating wine! It is the most singular and unique expression of Chardonnay. It’s like meditating on a blank sheet of paper. The greatest white wine region in the world... These are just a few of the comments I have heard and read about the famed wine and region of Chablis. A quick two-hour drive southeast of Paris, this appellation is famous for one grape, Chardonnay. It is grown on unique soils found almost nowhere else under vine to create an expression inextricably tied to its terroir.

As famous as Chablis is in the world now, it used to be far more popular. Today there are about 11,900 acres of vine planted in Chablis. But in the late 1800s, that number was a massive 98,840 acres! Because of its proximity to Paris as well as its location along the Serein River as a means of transportation, Chablis was the wine to drink in the capital as well as other European cities as far as St. Petersburg, Moscow and London. However, when the railway system was built across France and Europe, it ushered in massive competition to Chablis. Along with the devastating Phylloxera outbreak in the 1880s and two world wars, Chablis saw its vineyard surface plummet to a mere 1,235 acres in the 1950s.

Luckily for most of us, there is more known about Chablis, its soils and recognition of its different classifications than ever before. Chablis soils are mainly of Kimmeridgian and Portlandian origin. Kimmeridgian soils are limestone, calcareous clay and fossil-rich (oyster shells, Exogyra virgula, etc.) and are the most highly prized. Portlandian soils are similar but with less clay and marine fossils. The differences in the quality of the soils are reflected in the classification system.

At the very highest level of quality are the Grand Crus. Only seven vineyards are allowed this status: Les Preuses, Vaudésir, Grenouilles, Valmur, Les Clos, Blanchot, and Bougros, and they account for a mere 3-4% of the entire production in Chablis. These wines are truly the pinnacle of style, complexity, age worthiness, and price for the region. The next level of quality is the Premier Cru, of which there are about 40, representing only 13% of the production. Some of the most famous Premier Crus are Montée de Tonnerre, Vaillons, Fourchaume, and Mont Premier Crus are planted on Kimmeridgian soils rather than Portlandian. The next level of quality is simply Chablis, which represents 65% of the production. Lastly, there is Petit Chablis. This not-often-seen wine accounts for 20.5% of the production and is from vineyards planted to lesser soils of brown limestone, sand and silt.

Stylistically, Chablis is generally about minerality, freshness and fruit. Minerality in aroma comes in the form of flintiness, brine, and, yes, seashells. Freshness comes from the zippy acidity. The cool continental climate means that the grapes retain their acidity. The fruit, which can be obfuscated using new oak aging (a minority practice in Chablis), is pure and bright: citrus, apples, pears, green flowers, and hints of teas can shine through.

There are two producers consistently at the top of the list for the best of Chablis: Domaines Raveneau and Vincent Dauvissat. At every level, these two exemplify the purity of what Chablis can achieve. If you can find (and afford) them, they are truly some of the greatest. Other excellent producers include William Fèvre, Bernard Defaix, and Gilbert Picq. One up-and-coming producer to follow is Domaine Pattes Loup made by Thomas Pico. His wines are a rare combination of rich fruit with the minerality and freshness. They are not to be missed.

Chablis is clearly one of the best examples of a sense of place. The unique fingerprint of the soils and the grape combine to make this delicious and invigorating wine. It is the perfect expression of soil through a glass of wine; nothing added, and nothing taken away.