William Fèvre
Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre - Domaine 2023
Chablis 1er Cru
William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre is widely considered one of the finest Premiers Crus, thanks to its proximity and geological similarity to the Grands Crus just to the west. Fèvre farms three distinct lieux-dits on the crest of the slope—Pied d’Aloup, Montée de Tonnerre, and Chapelot—with exposures ranging from southwest to southeast. Each parcel contributes something unique: Pied d’Aloup brings structure and salinity with its high marl content, Montée de Tonnerre adds weight, and the old vines of Chapelot, planted in 1936, offer finesse. The resulting wine is full, rich, and mineral, with floral lift and remarkable aging potential.
VINEYARD
This cru, prestigious even amongst its Premier brethren, stretches around the hillside directly east of the Côte des Grands Crus. Fèvre farms 2.24 hectares on the crest of the hill split between three lieux-dits: Pied d’Aloue, Chapelot, and Côte de Bréchain.
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 19 months in total, with 35% of the blend spending 5 to 6 months on fine lees in French oak barrels before finishing in stainless steel.
VINTAGE
2023 began with a mild, dry winter followed by April frosts that had little lasting impact on the vines. A hot, dry May gave way to June storms that created disease pressure, managed carefully by the estate team throughout the season. Alternating heat and rainfall through summer accelerated ripening, with veraison slowing briefly due to water stress in August. Harvest began in early September under high temperatures, yielding generous volumes in excellent sanitary condition.
TASTING NOTE
Complex on the nose, with floral and fruity aromas and intense mineral notes. Robust and structured on the palate in its youth, evolving toward subtlety and elegance with a few years of age.
FOOD PAIRING
Grilled lobster, turbot, scallops, foie gras, fish in cream sauce, aged goat cheese
Color
White
Blend %
100% Chardonnay
Appellation
Chablis 1er Cru
Alcohol
13.5%
Suggested Retail Price
$130
Reviews
Wine Enthusiast - June 1, 2026 "This wine is elegance in a glass. Layered aromas of golden apple, toasted brioche, dried hay, field herbs, and forest floor charm the nose dusted with lemon zest. The palate is luxurious and richly textured with just-ripened orchard fruit riding a layer of stony acidity to the long finish. Editor’s Choice."
James Suckling - May 31, 2026 "Excellent depth of minerality and chalkiness, with smoky, flinty green apples. Chalky on the palate, with medium- to full-bodied character and a zesty, lightly saline finish. Energetic, with purity and inconspicuous depth and concentration."
Wine Advocate - January 29, 2026 "The 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre unites a solar personality of the year with tension, delivering aromas of beeswax, pear, orange peel and fennel, mingling with oyster liquor. Medium- to full-bodied, the palate is tangy and textural, with considerable depth and a long, saline finish."
Wine Spectator - December 31, 2025 "A rich version, laced with honeysuckle, peach, yellow plum and August meadow, plus a flash of cinnamon. This is balanced and charming, with a mineral undercurrent on the mouthwatering aftertaste. Drink now through 2032."
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 Fourchaume
Chablis 1er Cru
Fourchaum is situated on the opposite face of the hillside on which Grand Crus Les Preuses and Bougros sit. Fèvre’s holdings are on the eastern side of the vineyard, as close as one can get to the Grands Crus without crossing over. The soils resemble their storied neighbors and grow similarly powerful wines, perhaps with a shade more freshness.
