Varietal
100% Chardonnay.
Tasting notes
Nice gold colour with green hues.
Intense and slightly smoky nose reminiscent of roasted hazelnuts, lemon and acacia.
On the palate, the attack is unctuous and dense, still marked by the yellow fruits as well as aromas of pastry cream enhanced by a mineral and spicy finish.
Food and wine pairing
Will be perfect with tuna in curry, red mullet in espelette chili pepper cooked “a la plancha”. Try it also with sea urchins, scampi, oysters, pollock, andouillette sausage, a trout, sashimi and sushi, fried tofu or a savory slice of gruyère cheese.
Serving suggestions
Serve ideally at 12-14°C. (54-57°F.).
Ageing potential
This wine can be enjoyed now or kept in the cellar for the next three years.
Origin
A hill that was abandoned for some time, or plants that grow in damp valleys? Several theories attempt to explain the meaning behind the name of this Climat of Chablis Premier Cru.
With its 51 hectares all to itself, Côte de Léchet sits happily on the left bank by itself. Its terroir is sun-drenched, with steep slopes that reach up to 38% in some places!
The grapes ripen particularly fast and the harvest usually starts quite early. Some nice Kimmeridgian marls lie at the foot of the vines, covered with clay and "terre à lapin", a form of limestone sand eroded by cold and frost. Because of the slope, thundershowers end up pushing some stones to the bottom of Côte de Léchet. Despite having good drainage, this soil calls for hard work from its wine producers who regularly have to haul earth back up!
Vinification and maturing
- slow pneumatic pressing
- cold static settling of the juice
- alcoholic fermentation began in stainless steel tanks
- after 3 days, 15% of the juice was racked and transferred to fine grained barrels where they continued their alcoholic fermentation with weekly stirring
- the remaining juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks for 10 days under controlled temperatures (18 to 20°C./64-68°F.) to preserve a maximum of fruit
- 100% malolactic fermentation
- aged on fine lees for about 14 months
- light filtration before bottling
Vintage : 2022
In spite of the harsh spring frosts, the vines recovered very well and the grapes emerged in abundance. The lack of water was very troubling but a few showers on 15 August triggered the ripening process. The harvest was running from 1 September to 22 September.
The vines' condition was ideal. Only a few scorch marks were visible following the hot weather. A very good harvest, in terms of quality and quantity, for all the Chablis appellations, with very interesting balances.