Florence et François Bachelier Chablis 2022

What a treat for our team to taste a wine brand new to the States but with almost two centuries of farming and winemaking in its history.  This discovery is one we embrace as Napa Valley locals who shamelessly love and never turn down an interesting, new, and delicious imported wine.    Florence and François Bachelier are humble farmers and vignerons whose eighteen hectares of vineyards lie within the commune of Villy.  They are the eighth generation to steward the family's holdings, comprised of mainly 60-plus-year-old vines and a small slice of Premier Cru vines.
Their home, Chablis is the historic, beating heart of French Chardonnay.  The vineyards in this land of undulating hills, just northwest of Burgundy proper, lay on an ancient seabed soil known as Kimmeridgian clay.  These chalky, white strata continue due north through Champagne and under the English Channel.  Their most striking iterations are the luminous White Cliffs of Dover, which have long been a landmark for sailors.  In the vineyards of Chablis, one can often find prehistoric fossils of oyster shells and trilobites- and it is this organic matter that local winemakers believe gives their Chardonnays a flinty minerality.  In addition, the cool climate of this northerly growing region allows the fruit to retain its zesty acidity- which results in white wine that can age beautifully for years.  Stylistically, winemakers in Chablis tend to highlight these gorgeous flavor characteristics and use less oak than their counterparts in the Côte d'Or.

This Chablis exudes freshness with lean and lively acidity. Aromas of citrus zest and Granny Smith apple make the first impression, with secondary notes of chalky minerality.  We are HUGE fans of the zippiness that lasts through the finish.