William Fèvre : Chablis Grand cru "Valmur" Domaine 2021

Tasting characteristics and advice for the Chablis Grand Cru "Valmur" Domaine 2021 by William Fèvre

Tasting

Appearance
The wine shows a pale yellow hue with golden and slightly green highlights, reflecting its youth.

Nose
The nose reveals lovely aromatic complexity with notes of orange zest, peach and white flowers. Mineral nuances of wet stone and blanched almond complete this elegant, refined bouquet.

Palate
On the palate, this wine stands out for its broad structure and satiny texture. The palate unveils fine mineral power supported by remarkable tension. White-fruit aromas mingle with a chiseled freshness, leading to a long, complex finish of great precision.

Food and wine pairings

This Chablis Grand Cru "Valmur" 2021 is an ideal match for seafood, especially grilled lobster or pan-seared scallops. It also pairs beautifully with fine fish served with beurre blanc sauce or with poultry in a cream sauce. Aged goat cheeses also make a harmonious pairing.

Serving and cellaring

This Chablis Grand Cru "Valmur" 2021 benefits from being opened one hour before serving to allow its aromas to fully express themselves. Decanting can be considered for young bottles. The ideal serving temperature is between 12 and 14°C. This wine can be enjoyed now but will continue to evolve until around 2050.

A powerful, mineral Burgundy Grand Cru white wine from Domaine William Fèvre

The estate

Officially founded in 1959, Domaine William Fèvre builds on more than 250 years of family winegrowing tradition in Chablis. Now owned by Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite since January 2024, the estate spans 70 hectares across 90 parcels. With 15.2 hectares of Grands Crus, it is the largest owner of these prestigious terroirs in Chablis. Under the leadership of Didier Séguier since 1998, the estate practices organic and biodynamic viticulture, favoring a terroir-respectful approach and minimalist winemaking to reveal all the purity and minerality characteristic of the appellation.

The vineyard

The Chablis Grand Cru Valmur comes from a historic Climat whose traces date back to 1233. This 10.5-hectare terroir benefits from a south- and west-facing amphitheater-shaped exposure, allowing the vines to capture the sun’s warmth. The soils rest on Kimmeridgian marls rich in marine fossils, with variations according to altitude: more clay-rich and deeper at the bottom of the slope, more limestone-rich and shallow at the top. This diversity gives the wine its dual personality, combining freshness and a sun-kissed character, with deep minerality and remarkable aging potential.

The vintage

The 2021 vintage in Chablis was marked by major climatic challenges, notably a spring frost of rare intensity with temperatures dropping as low as -8°C. These difficult conditions resulted in a loss of around 75% of average production. Despite these trials, the surviving grapes benefited from favorable summer conditions, allowing for optimal ripening. Harvest took place in mid-September, giving rise to wines of great purity, with fine mineral tension and remarkable freshness characteristic of a classic style.

Vinification and aging

The Chablis Grand Cru "Valmur" 2021 is vinified using a minimalist approach that favors the expression of terroir. The grapes are harvested by hand and pressed gently. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, partly in stainless-steel tanks and partly in older oak barrels averaging six years of age, with no new oak. The wine is aged on fine lees for 13 to 15 months, allowing it to develop complexity and texture while preserving mineral purity. This aging method promotes gentle oxygenation without imparting pronounced oaky notes.

Grape variety

100% Chardonnay