F&F Bachelier - 'Vielle Vignes' - Chardonnay - Chablis, Burgundy, FR - 2023

Notes from the Winery/Importer

VARIETY & TERROIR 100% Chardonnay on limestone sloped soil onboth sides of the river “Le Serein” VINEYARD AGE 39 year-old vines FARMING PRACTICES Integrated cultivation method with tillage VINIFICATION & AGING Traditional vinifcation with temperature control & aged on fine lees to 5 to 8 months in stainless steel TOTAL ACIDIT Y & RESIDUAL SUGAR 2.98 g/L & 0.42 g/L ALCOHOL 12.75 % PRODUCTION 4 228 cases

Notes on the Producer

"I was lucky to work for the guy who discovered Raveneau for the US —and the first wine he ever tasted and ordered in France was a 1973 Chablis-- specifically from Maurice Fèvre. Long before he would later describe François Raveneau in one of his early newsletters as "coldhearted," and refer to "the crusty old misanthrope" who would only sell his Premier Cru Chablis to the U.S. before eventually offering some Grand Cru Valmur. Chablis played an early role in my wine career as well, and I was lucky to discover Raveneau during my retail days in Portland, Oregon (back when you could somewhat easily find Dauvissat and Raveneau on the shelves). It was the Chablis that introduced me to Chablis. At the time I never dreamed that I would get to know Isabelle and her father Bernard (François' son), regularly visit their cellars, and eventually discover a Chablis from one of their neighbors whose work in the vineyards seeks to rival the two best in the region. I am honored to introduce the wines of Florence and François Bachelier, whose family has produced Chablis for 200 years, but in their generation have truly refined their métier. Florence is a cousin of a Chablis producer I had the pleasure to represent, and with her husband François they are the 8th generation to farm their eighteen hectares in Villy. Most of their vines are now over 60-years-old -- and included in their modest holdings is a tiny slice of the Chablis Premier Cru "Les Fourneaux," the only Premier Cru site in Chablis to face due South, like the Grands Crus. Their old-vine and Premier Cru age gracefully in old barrels, while their textbook AOC bottling stays exclusively in tank. Most importantly, none of the Chablis are Malo-blocked, and consequently they stylistically echo my two other favorite producers in the appellation." -France & Western

Grapes & Style

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is one of the great white grapes of Burgundy, and one of the most widely planted wine grapes in the world. It has a long history in eastern France, especially Burgundy and Champagne, and DNA work shows it as part of the same broad Pinot and Gouais Blanc family that gave us grapes like Gamay and Aligoté. It’s adaptable, easy enough to grow in many places, and capable of producing everything from simple everyday whites to some of the most ageworthy white wines in the world.

In the vineyard, Chardonnay buds and ripens relatively early, which makes it useful in cooler climates but vulnerable to spring frost. It tends to do especially well on limestone and calcareous clay, and its relatively neutral fruit profile gives site and cellar choices a lot of room to show. Malolactic fermentation, lees aging, barrel fermentation, and oak can all shape the final wine dramatically.

In the glass, Chardonnay can be lean, saline, and citrus-driven, or broad, textured, and orchard-fruited, depending on where it’s grown and how it’s made. Chablis shows the steely, high-acid side; the Côte de Beaune shows depth, texture, and savory complexity; Champagne shows its value as a sparkling-wine base. Good Chardonnay is less about one fixed flavor than about balance, texture, and the way it carries place.