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2016 Chablis 1er Cru “Vaillons”

Domaine Costal
Discount Eligible $42.00
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When I sat down write this, my plan was to focus on the cold climate of Chablis. To write about how the vignerons were forced to implement widespread anti-frost systems just to survive. Or about how the traditional Chablis barrel, the feuillette, is smaller than elsewhere in Burgundy because the local oak trees, stunted by wind and cold, never grew as big as their more southerly cousins. I was all set to paint Chablis as the wine region equivalent of Pluto, the outsider of the Burgundian solar system following its own orbit on the frigid fringes.
          And then the other night, after the kids had gone to bed, my wife and I opened this particular bottle, from one of Chablis’ oldest premier cru vineyards, for a nightcap. Yes, this is classic Chablis, where Chardonnay speaks with a clipped and flinty accent, but there’s also a beautiful, sunny aspect to this wine that I was not expecting. As I got deeper into the glass, I noticed a little floral note here, a touch of ripeness there, and before I knew it, my carefully crafted analogy crumbled. Then, pretty soon afterward, the bottle was empty as well.

Dustin Soiseth


Technical Information
Wine Type: white
Vintage: 2016
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: Chardonnay
Appellation: Chablis
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Producer: Domaine Costal
Winemaker: Gilles & Romain Collet
Vineyard: 30 years, 9.6 ha
Soil: Kimmeridgian Limestone
Aging: After racking, wine goes through malolactic fermentation in 1/3 stainless tank, 1/3 neutral barrel (228 L), and 1/3 used demi-muid barrel (600 L)
Farming: Organic (practicing)
Alcohol: 12.5%

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About The Region

Burgundy

map of Burgundy

In eastern central France, Burgundy is nestled between the wine regions of Champagne to the north, the Jura to the east, the Loire to the west, and the Rhône to the south. This is the terroir par excellence for producing world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The southeast-facing hillside between Dijon in the north and Maranges in the south is known as the Côte d’Or or “golden slope.” The Côte d’Or comprises two main sections, both composed of limestone and clay soils: the Côte de Nuits in the northern sector, and the Côte de Beaune in the south. Both areas produce magnificent whites and reds, although the Côte de Beaune produces more white wine and the Côte de Nuits more red.

Chablis is Burgundy’s northern outpost, known for its flinty and age-worthy Chardonnays planted in Kimmeridgian limestone on an ancient seabed. Vézelay is a smaller area south of Chablis with similar qualities, although the limestone there is not Kimmeridgian.

To the south of the Côte de Beaune, the Côte Chalonnaise extends from Chagny on its northern end, down past Chalon-sur-Saône and encompasses the appellations of Bouzeron in the north, followed by Rully, Mercurey, Givry, and Montagny.

Directly south of the Chalonnaise begins the Côte Mâconnais, which extends south past Mâcon to the hamlets of Fuissé, Vinzelles, Chaintré, and Saint-Véran. The Mâconnais is prime Chardonnay country and contains an incredible diversity of soils.

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Old cob-webbed wine bottles

Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.