Since 2019, when I first tried my first Chablis Grand Cru, it has been my dream to stand on the hill of Chablis. So, when my wife and I visited Dijon for a month, I planned a trip from Dijon for a day and a half.
So, if you are asking about what to do in Chablis or are interested in wine tasting in Chablis, this is what I discovered.
Let’s go!
Chablis soil
To understand Chablis, you have to appreciate its soil.
First, it’s essential to know that Chablis was once covered by the sea millions of years ago. As a result, its soil is a mixture of clay and calcium-rich limestone rocks called marl. The vineyards are littered with stones.
Why? Limestone rocks form when small sea creatures die, and they sink to the ocean floor. Over time, as their skeletons and shells accumulate on top of one another, the pressure causes them to transform into rock.
Second, you need to know that Chablis has two types of soils: Kimmeridgian and Portlandian. The Kimmeridgian soil is older and is located lower on the hill. It has a higher limestone content and is mineral-rich. The ground is littered with stones (called marl) and contains fossilized oyster shells. Portlandian limestone is younger, located higher on the hill, has less limestone content, and lacks minerality. Its stones do not have sea fossils.
Third, you need to know that the more mineral-rich the soil, the drier and fresher the wines are; the less mineral-rich the soil, the more weighty and richly flavored the wines are.
Chablis in a nutshell
Now that you clearly understand the Chablis soil, here are some essential things to know:
- The entire Chablis wine region spans approximately 6,000 hectares, or 14,832 acres (1 hectare = 2.471 acres); it is small.
- The Serein River flows through Chablis, dividing the wine region into a right and left bank; the river is smaller than you think when you see it.
- When standing at the bottom of the hill and looking up, you can only see the middle, not its peak. The top of the mountain is past the treeline, and it is flatter.
- Based on quality, Chablis is classified into four types: Petit Chablis, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru. Petit Chablis is the lesser, and Grand Cru is the queen.
- A Chablis vineyard’s microclimate or terroir is defined by its location on the hillside and factors such as sunlight, rainfall, wind, and viticulture practices. There are 47 separate microclimates for Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru: 40 Premier Cru and 7 Grand Cru.
- The finest Chablis, known as Chablis Grand Cru, is produced exclusively on the right bank hill bounded by the road. Spanning only 100 hectares. The hill is steeper. It has a southern exposure, more prolonged sun exposure, and thinner topsoil. The soil is 100% Kimmeridgian, rich with fossils. Premier Cru is produced on different hectares on both sides of the hill.
- When visiting Chablis, drink Chablis Premier Cru or Chablis Grand Cru; both are widely available and reasonably priced, and you won’t find better access to these wines anywhere else.
Tasting Chablis wine
Chablis is a small town. It is easy to walk around and taste wine. Shops and tasting rooms are owned by individual wine producers, where you can learn about and try Chablis wines. Tastings are not expensive, and in some cases, the tasting cost can be applied to the wine purchased.
A basic tasting includes a Petit Chablis, Chablis, and Premier Cru. Most do not include a Grand Cru because many winemakers do not have a lot of Grand Cru on hand. Why? Because they do not own any Grand Cru vineyards. Instead, they must buy Grand Cru grapes to make a Grand Cru. What they make, they must sell by the bottle.
The best place I found to taste wine in Chablis is William Fèvre. Why? William Fèvre is the largest owner of the Chablis Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards on the hill. So, you can taste Petit Chablis, Chablis, and its Chablis Premier Cru and Grand Cru.
Plus, the wine consultants are highly knowledgeable and, during the tasting, lead you on an in-depth tour of Chablis without the tasting room.
William Fèvre tasting room
8 Rue Jules Rathier, 89800 Chablis
Touring Chablis vineyards
We spent 36 hours in Chablis but managed to go on two wine tours.
The first Cablis wine tour was with Clotilde Davenne’s boutique, a small shop in downtown Chablis. I chose them because they offered a private tour and drove you around Chablis Grand Cru hill in an electric Citroën Méhari, a lightweight car with a plastic body. It is named after the fast-running dromedary camel, the méhari. Citroën stopped making the car in 1988.
“Clotilde Davenne” is owned and operated by Clotilde Davenne, a French woman entrepreneur who grew up in Burgundy at the foot of the Morvan mountains. See my post “The Best Restaurants in Dijon” to learn about Morvan and Morvan ham. She has quite a story to tell, and when we were there, the staff was preparing for the winery’s 20th anniversary.
Zipping around the Chablis Grand Cru vineyard in the Citroën Méhari with my wife was a hoot. The guide who drove us around was knowledgeable enough. After the drive, you return to Clotilde Davenne’s boutique for a short Chablis wine tasting.
The second wine tour was with Domaine Céline and Frédéric Gueguen, whose tasting room is right across the street from William Fèvre’s tasting room in Chablis (See above). Gueguen offers two options: a Chablis wine tasting only or a Chablis vineyard tour and tasting in English. We did both.
On day one, we began with the Chablis wine tasting, which was very informative. It included maps and a detailed description of the terroir, covering aspects such as soil type, climate and weather patterns, and topography, including elevation, slope, and sun exposure. Additionally, a looping video in French illustrates Chablis’s geographical history and formation, which is very educational even if you do not speak French.
On the second day, we took a Chablis vineyard tour and wine tasting that perfectly complemented Clotilde Davenne’s boutique experience, which I have previously discussed. Domaine Gueguen’s guide drove us to the top of the hill and parked the van. From there, we walked down to the Grand Cru vineyards for an informative discussion.
Afterward, we made our way back up the hill—an easy walk—and strolled through the Petit Chablis vineyards.
Then we walked across the Petit Chablis vineyards to view the Premier Cru vineyards on the other side, before returning to the van. I was happy with this tour, especially since we hadn’t reached the top of the hill the day before; I don’t think the plastic Citroën Méhari could have made it.
