2022 Chablis, Les Fourneaux, 1er Cru, Famille Grossot, Burgundy
Critics reviews
From Côte de Près Girots and Morein with partial wood élevage.
A pungent nose is still carrying some residual secondary fermentation nuances, which make it tough to accurately read. More interesting are the lightly mineral-inflected larger-bodied flavours that flash moderate muscle and power on the clean, dry, youthfully austere and slightly rustic finale.
Drink from 2027 onward
Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (August 2023)
About this WINE
Famille Grossot
Located in the heart of the Chablis region, Burgundy, France, Famille Grossot is a renowned winemaking family with a rich history spanning generations. Led by Jean-Pierre and Corinne Grossot, alongside their daughter Eve, the domaine is deeply rooted in the local terroir. Their vineyards, predominantly planted with Chardonnay, thrive on the iconic Kimmeridgian limestone soils, imparting their wines with a signature mineral character and exquisite finesse.
Committed to sustainable practices, the Grossot family nurtures their vines with care, allowing the unique expression of the Chablis terroir to shine through. Combining traditional winemaking techniques with modern expertise, they craft Chablis wines celebrated for their vibrant acidity, crisp minerality, and exceptional ageing potential. From the classic Chablis to the complex and structured Premier Crus, Famille Grossot consistently produces wines of remarkable quality and character.
Chablis Premier Cru
Chablis Premiers Crus are stylish, minerally wines which, typically, are less intense than the Grand Crus but finer and longer-lasting than basic Chablis. They are highly underrated with the better examples outclassing many a good village white Burgundy.
The vineyards cover 750 hectares, scattered across 15 communes on isolated slopes with good exposure. There are 17 principal Premiers Crus but in total 79 vineyards are eligible, with most of the lesser-known ones using a more familiar umbrella name on their label. The best flank the Grands Crus on the north bank of the River Serein, like Montée de Tonnerre (probably the best of all), Fourchaume and Mont de Milieu.
Those just south of Chablis, like Vaillons, Montmains (especially Les Forêts) and Côte de Léchet are also good. With the vineyard area having doubled since the 1970s, quality varies enormously so, as ever, the producer is key.
Styles also vary, with some maturing and fermenting in stainless steel for a purer, more minerally style, while others age and sometimes even ferment their wines in oak for extra complexity. The best examples reach their apogee at eight to 10 years, but are normally enjoyed long before then.
Recommended producers: Jean-Claude Bessin, Billaud-Simon, Séguinot-Bordet, J.-P. & Benoit Droin, Duplessis, Defaix
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
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Description
Fourneaux is a small, steeply sloping Premier Cru in the Grossots’ home village of Fleys. One parcel is south-facing, giving a generous and tropical fruit, while the other faces east, providing freshness. One-third of the wine spends nine months in barrel before being blended into tank with the rest of the wine. Layered and long, this is a very seductive wine.
Drink 2025 - 2033
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