William Fèvre
Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume 2022
Chablis 1er Cru
Fourchaume is the most celebrated Premier Cru in Chablis, and in many ways the most logical step between the village wines and the Grands Crus. Sitting on the right bank of the Serein in the exact continuation of the Grands Crus slope, it is separated from the Grand Cru Les Preuses by nothing more than a path. That proximity tells the story: Fourchaume produces powerful, mineral wines that carry genuine Grand Cru ambition at Premier Cru level.
Domaine William Fèvre’s holding here is farmed with the same meticulous attention applied across the domaine’s 78 hectares, on marl with fairly deep soils that give the wine its characteristic weight and structure. Very aromatic on the nose, with fruit and floral notes, and a palate of real elegance that moves between power, finesse, and roundness, Fourchaume is among the finest expressions of the right bank and a cornerstone of the William Fèvre range.
VINEYARD
Fourchaume is a 130-hectare Premier Cru on the right bank of the Serein, in the exact continuation of the Grands Crus slope and separated from the Grand Cru Les Preuses by a simple path. It is the most celebrated Premier Cru in the appellation, producing wines of power and minerality that sit closer in character to the Grands Crus than to most other Premier Crus. The soils are marl with fairly deep subsoils, giving the wine its characteristic weight, structure, and aging potential.
WINEMAKING
Gravity is applied throughout to avoid pumping and preserve the integrity of the fruit. Short pneumatic pressing of 1.5 to 2 hours ensures a delicate separation of solids and liquids. Very light static settling retains enough fine lees for alcoholic and malolactic fermentations to occur naturally. Vinification takes place in stainless steel vats. The wine is aged for 17 months in total, with 25% of the blend spending 5 to 6 months on fine lees in French oak barrels before finishing in stainless steel.
VINTAGE
2022 began with a mild, very dry winter before budbreak arrived in the last week of March. A brief delay of a few days compared to the 20-year average proved fortunate, as frosts and cold followed shortly after. Despite the conditions, cluster emergence was good. Flowering took place at the end of May under excellent conditions, with little shatter or millerandage, and the vines quickly caught up to run 10 days ahead of average. Harvest began on August 31 in perfect sanitary condition, with thick-skinned, pulpy grapes and a good juice yield.
TASTING NOTE
Very aromatic on the nose, with notes of fruit and flowers. Elegant on the palate, blending power, finesse, and roundness in a wine of real presence and length.
FOOD PAIRING
Grilled lobster, scallops, turbot, fish in cream sauce, aged goat cheese, soft-ripened cheeses
Color
White
Blend %
100% Chardonnay
Appellation
Chablis 1er Cru
Alcohol
12.5%
Suggested Retail Price
$105.99
Reviews
Wine Advocate - “The domaine's 2022 Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume, a parcel selection in Vaulorent, opens in the glass with notes of sweet citrus fruit, white flowers and oyster shell, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and pillowy palate that's cool and fleshy, concluding with a saline finish.”
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Chablis 1er Cru Montmains
Chablis 1er Cru “Montmains”
Montmains has a uniquely stony terroir in Chablis, stretching down one side of a valley on the left bank of the Serein.
Chablis 1er Cru Les Lys - Domaine
Chablis 1er Cru
Historically owned by French royalty, the climat of Les Lys sits towards the top of the hill in Vaillons. On the left bank of the Serein, Fèvre’s 0.99 hectares of vines grow in clay over Kimmeridgian soils, its eastern exposure producing a delicate wine with a soft, charming palate.
Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons - Domaine
Chablis 1er Cru
This left-bank cru spans a massive 104 hectares divided into 8 climats – Fèvre owns 3.65 hectares over 12 plots. One of the first vineyards to reach maturity, it shows its fast ripening in shades of peach, pineapple, and pear.
Saint-Bris
Chablis
Located southwest of Chablis, Saint-Bris is the only appellation in Burgundy that allows Sauvignon Blanc. This wine grows from northeast- and northwest-facing parcels with a mix of stones, hard limestone and clay-silt. A 12-hour pre-fermentation maceration adds to this wine’s freshness, a linearity solidified by its all-stainless-steel aging.
Chablis Domaine
Chablis
This wine is made from William Fèvre’s organic estate vineyards, with many of the parcels lying adjacent to Premier Cru sites. An attractive, fresh, and classically mineral Chablis.
Chablis Champs Royaux
Chablis
Translates to "Royal Fields", a selection from the highest quality fruit covering 37 hectares of vineyards in the Chablis appellation.
Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy - Domaine
Chablis 1er Cru
Beauroy is a cru sensitive to late frosts. So sensitive, in fact, growers created the artificial Etang de Beine at the foot of its hill both to influence its microclimate and as a water source for aspersion. Fèvre owns 1.12 hectares in the subclimat of Les Troësmes, where the steep slopes and thin clay-limestone soils give finesse and elegance to the wine while the sunny south-southeastern exposures provide a background of richness.
Chablis 1er Cru Montmains - Domaine
Chablis 1er Cru
On the left bank of the Serein, Fèvre owns 3.68 hectares with vines in each of the climats off this Premier Cru. The parcel in Butteaux gives minerality, Forêts – fruitiness, and Montmains – richness. The vineyard has a uniquely stony terroir that grows an accessible, fresh wine in its youth that has the power and concentration to age.
Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre - Domaine
Chablis 1er Cru
The Montée de Tonnèrre wraps around the hillside immediately east of the Côte des Grands Crus. Its geological profile closely resembles the Grands Crus and as such is considered one of the finest Premiers Crus. Fèvre’s holdings are in three lieux-dits on the crest of the hill with exposures ranging from southwest to south to southeast. Both full and rich while holding onto mineral and floral characters, the wine shows intensity and complexity in its youth, and will develop subtlety as it ages.
