William Fèvre
Chablis Domaine 2022
Chablis
Domaine William Fèvre is the benchmark producer in Chablis, and one of the most important names in all of Burgundy. With family roots in the region stretching back over 250 years, William Fèvre founded the modern domaine in 1959 from a starting holding of seven hectares, methodically building what is now the largest Grand Cru ownership in the appellation across 78 hectares and 90 separate parcels. He was also one of the most vocal defenders of Chablis’s identity, campaigning against appellation expansion and insisting that the true character of the region belonged to its Kimmeridgian terroir. Today, under the direction of winemaker Didier Séguier and within the DBR Lafite family since 2024, the domaine continues to set the standard.
Chablis Domaine is the village-level expression of that legacy: 46.8 hectares of Chardonnay on Kimmeridgian marl and limestone, planted in the extension of the Premier Crus and farmed with the same rigor as the domaine’s finest holdings. It is the clearest possible introduction to what this domaine and this terroir are capable of.
WINE
Domaine William Fèvre is the benchmark producer in Chablis, the largest Grand Cru owner in the appellation and a defining voice in the region's identity since 1959. Chablis Domaine is the village-level expression of that legacy: 46.8 hectares of Chardonnay on Kimmeridgian marl and limestone, planted in the extension of the Premier Crus and farmed with the same rigor as the domaine's finest holdings.
VINEYARD
The Chablis Domaine vineyard covers 46.8 hectares on both sides of the Serein River, situated in the extension of the Premier Crus on Kimmeridgian subsoil. The soils are a mix of marl and clayey limestone, rich in minerals and fossilized oysters, the geological signature that gives Chablis wines their distinctive mineral character and immense freshness. The steep, rocky slopes flanking the Serein sit above a terroir formed over 150 million years, a geological heritage that is widely imitated but, in the words of the domaine, never equalled.
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 gentle separation of solids and liquids. Very light static racking retains enough fine lees for alcoholic and malolactic fermentations to occur naturally. The musts are placed in small stainless steel tanks, with 5 to 10% of the cuvée vinified in French oak barrels averaging 6 years old. The wine is aged for 10 to 12 months in stainless steel, with 5 to 10% spending 5 to 6 months in French oak barrels.
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
Refined on the nose, with aromas of citrus, white-fleshed fruit, and flowers. Fresh and supple on the palate, with the mineral character typical of the Chablis appellation running through a clean, precise finish.
FOOD PAIRING
Oysters, grilled fish, seafood, goat cheese, light poultry dishes
Color
White
Blend %
100% Chardonnay
Appellation
Chablis
Alcohol
12.5%
Suggested Retail Price
$52
Reviews
Wine Spectator - May 30, 2024 "Bursting with peach, apple, lemon and flint aromas and flavors, this expressive and supple white is harmonious and ready to enjoy yet should develop well over the next five to seven years. Excellent length. "
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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 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.
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.
