Saturday dawned bright and sunny, and was the warmest day of the year so far – or so I was told. This was pleasing to me, because it was also my birthday and I was happy to drive on a bright Spring day the 1 hour north to the small village of Chablis were I had two appointments.
First stop was Domaine Grossot where I was able to see the unique pruning of Chablis called “Taille Chablis” (see photo). The vineyards are not as tightly spaced as Cote d’Or, and they have two canes instead of one. However, some of the new vineyards are now starting to adopt the style of their southern neighbors. The cellars were filled with stainless steel tanks with just a few oak barrels – to create the more steely style of Chablis. The wines were lovely – nice crisp acidity, tart apple, and lots of wet stone and cheesy-leesy character. I purchased a bottle here and also at La Chablisienne – the large cooperative which is considered to be the best in France. Very polished and professional tasting room, where I was able to try some of the Grand Crus as well.
Lunch was at a cute pub in the middle of town where everyone was sitting outside to soak up the sun. Wish I would have had more time in Chablis, but I am very glad I was able to visit. That afternoon I headed back to spend more time in the Cote d’Nuits and then meet Eric and Mao for my birthday dinner in Beaune (see previous post).