Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia by Tom Stevenson is the definitive source on the wine regions and wine of the world.  The newly released fourth edition has updated information on wine producers, appellations and varietals. Wine region descriptions provide details of their style and the items that affect their wine's taste such as climate, soil, viticulture and vinification as can be seen in the partial excerpt on the Chablis district below.  Following this introduction to a region, individual appellations and individual wine producers within that region are described.  The wine producers are rated from 1 to 3 stars, their top wines are listed, and details such as organic and value wines are stated.  If you want to learn more about the various wine producing regions and their best producers, then Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia is the place to go. 

The Varying Styles of Chablis

From Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia by Tom Stevenson, DK 2007

The traditional description of Chablis is of a wine of clear, pale color with a green hue around the rim. It is very straight and positive, with an aggressive, steely character, very direct attack, and a high level of acidity that needs a few years to round out. This description, however, rarely applies, as much has changed in the way these wines are made at both ends of the quality spectrum.

Thirty years ago most Chablis did not undergo malolactic fermentation. The wines that resulted had a naturally high acidity, and were hard, green, and ungenerous in their youth, although they often matured into wines of incomparable finesse. Now, most Chablis wines undergo malolactic fermentation and cold stabilization, which is used to precipitate tartrates (although some wines fermented or matured in small oak casks do not), making the wine fuller, softer, and rounder.

At the top end of the market, there are two distinctly different schools. Some wines are fermented in stainless steel and bottled early to produce the most direct and attacking style, while others are fermented in wood and matured in casks with an increasing amount of new oak. Writers often describe the unoaked, stainless-steel-fermented Chablis as traditional, but these vats were introduced in the 1960s, so it cannot be a well-established tradition. The oak barrel is much older, of course, and thus far more traditional, but what the critics really mean is that new oak has never been a feature of Chablis winemaking, therefore the crisp, clean style of Chablis fermented in a stainless steel is closer to the original style: traditional by default. Obviously, the most authentic style of Chablis is the wine that is made in old or, more accurately, well-used casks. The traditional Chablisienne cask, known as a feuillette, is only half the size of a normal Burgundian barrel, thus has twice the effect, but not being new oak, this would be an oxidative effect, not creamy-vanilla or other aromatics. However, the more rapid oxidative effect of the feuillette does explain why the wines were traditionally bottled early, retaining the minerality of the fruit, and invariably imparting a slight spritz, further separating the style of these wines from Chardonnay produced in the Côte d’Or.

What makes the divide between oaked and unoaked Chablis even wider is the fact that the leaner, more mineral style of wine produced in this district can fight against the effects of new oak, whereas the fatter, softer, more seductive wines of the Côte d’Or embrace it with open arms. Recognizing that some people enjoy new oak characteristics, the recommendations in this book include producers of the best oaky Chablis. However, the trend for new oak peaked sometime in the late 1990s. Today, even producers known for the oakiest Chablis have been holding back, to promote the minerality meant to be expressive of the terroir.

There has always been a certain inconsistency about Chablis, which is only to be expected give its uncertain climate, and this has never deterred its devotees. However, things have gone from bad to worse over the past 15 years, and it is not the weather that has always been to blame – it is the increasing yields by greedy producers and sloppy winemaking.  There are still great joys to be had with the best and most passionately produced Chablis, from the lowliest appellation to the greatest grands crus, but wine buyers must be increasingly vigilant.

Factors Effecting Taste and Quality

Location

Chablis is halfway between Beaune and Paris, 19 miles (30 kilometers) from the southernmost vineyards of Champagne, but 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the rest of Burgundy.

Climate

This area has a semi-continental climate with minimal Atlantic influence, which results in a long, cold winter, a humid spring, and a fairly hot, very sunny summer. Hail storms and spring frosts are the greatest hazards.

Aspect

All the grands crus are located on one stretch of southwest-facing slopes just north of Chablis itself, where the vineyards are at a height of between 490 and 660 feet (150 and 200 meters). Apart from the southwest-facing slopes just north of Fourchaume and Montée de Tonnerre, the premier cru slopes face southeast.

Soil

This area is predominantly covered with calcareous clay, and the traditional view is that of the two major types, Kimmeridgian and Portlandian, only the former is suitable for the classic Chablis; but this is neither proven nor likely.  Geologically they have the same Upper Jurassic origin. Any intrinsic geographical differences should be put down to aspect, microclimate, and the varied nature of the sedimentary beds that underlie and interbed with the Kimmeridgian and Portlandian soils

Viticulture And Vinification

The vineyards in Chablis have undergone rapid expansion, most particularly in the generic appellation and the premier crus, both of which have doubled in size since the early 1970s. Mechanical harvesting has now found its way to the grands crus slopes of Chablis, but smaller producers still pick by hand. Most Chablis is fermented in stainless steel, but oak barrels are making a comeback, although too much new oak fights against the lean, austere intensity of the Chardonnay grown in this district.

Grape Varieties

Primary Varieties: Chardonnay

Secondary Varieties: Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, (syn. Pinot Beurot), Pinot Liébault, Sauvignon Blanc, Gamay, César, Tressot, Sacy, Aligoté, Melon de Bourgogne.

About Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia

Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia is the essential insider's guide to every major wine-growing region in the world, this book offers dozens of helpful Top 10 lists covering a broad range of topics, including Best-Value Producers, Greatest-Quality Wines, and Most Exciting or Unusual Finds. The book is a must for every serious wine enthusiast who wants to keep up with the constantly changing and ever-expanding world of wine.