Varietal

100% Chardonnay.

Tasting notes

Pale gold in colour.
Complex nose, still young, with notes of flint and citrus zest along with herbal scents reminiscent of thyme, fresh mint and bergamot.
Full and powerful on the palate with flavours of dried fruit, citrus zest, and spice, ending on a lemony note. Very long on the finish.

Food and wine pairing

Ideal with salmon in butter sauce, as well as with capon or roast guinea fowl.

Serving suggestions

14°C.

Ageing potential

Already very pleasant, it will express its full potential up to 4 to 6 years after its vintage.

Origin

The 27 hectares of Vaucoupin’s vines are located on the right bank of the Serein river in the commune of Chichée.

As for the history, the name Vaucoupin could refer to the structure of the vineyard itself. It could mean that the valley used to covered with woods that were cut at a time or shared between several different owners. It might also refer a former owner, named Coupin.

Our cuvée comes from grapes harvested on very old vines with roots burrowing deeply into the stony, clay and limestone soils.

Vinification and maturing

Vintage : 2007

The winter was cold, the coldest on record since 1986. The vines bled in April (rising of the sap) and budburst occurred in scattered locations around the 16th, but it was a slow process. May saw little sun and 20% more precipitation than normal; in spite of lovely inflorescence, the vines were rather pale. Lost time was quickly made up for in June with an increase in temperatures. The thermometer showed between 34 and 37°C on 9 and 10 July and the vines were in good health, with plump, tight clusters. Heat wave-like conditions set in for three weeks bringing about water stress that halted vine growth. August was the coldest on record in the preceding twenty years which alleviated the water stress. High temperatures during the first week of September resulted in a harvest start date set for the 16th, the earliest since 1976 with the exception of the atypical year of 2003. The grapes were sweet, low in acidity and deep gold in colour. They arrived at the presses between 19 and 29 September, avoiding any risk of rot due to the considerable amount of precipitation that fell toward the end of the month. The harvest was very healthy, with a higher pH than average for Chablis ranging from 3.3 to 3.5, and rather low acidity with a potential alcohol level of 13%. Yields were rather uneven, but were generally reached. Work at the winery was focused on bringing out aromatic expression. Alcoholic fermentations were rapid for the first juices brought in and longer and more drawn out for those that arrived during the second week. Partial malolactic fermentations enabled us to preserve this vintage’s freshness and balance.