La Chablisienne : Chablis Grand cru "Château Grenouilles" 2014

Tasting notes and serving suggestions for Château Grenouilles 2014 from La Chablisienne

Tasting

Appearance

The wine shows a pale gold hue with green highlights, clear and brilliant.

Nose

The nose opens with an elegant floral freshness dominated by aromas of white flowers. With aeration, the bouquet unfolds with citrus notes that bring vibrancy and complexity to the whole.

Palate

On the palate, the wine reveals a lovely roundness paired with vibrant freshness. The texture is fine and delicate, while the finish lingers long on saline notes characteristic of the terroir.

Food and wine pairings

This Château Grenouilles 2014 pairs beautifully with smoked salmon toasts, sea bass fillets in sauce, as well as poultry in cream sauce. It also enhances fine shellfish and makes a remarkable match with delicate fish in white sauce.

Serving and cellaring

Château Grenouilles 2014 can be enjoyed now and will continue to evolve through around 2027. Its strong aging potential will allow it to further develop its aromatic complexity over the years.

An outstanding Chablis Grand Cru, a pure expression of Burgundian minerality

The estate

Founded in 1923, La Chablisienne is a leading wine cooperative bringing together around 300 partner growers. Located in Chablis in the Yonne in Burgundy, it manages a 1,250-hectare vineyard representing more than 25% of the appellation’s production. Led since 2009 by Damien Leclerc, La Chablisienne stands out for its unique must-delivery system, which gives it total control over winemaking. The cooperative notably owns the Château Grenouilles estate, acquired in 1999, producing the rarest of Chablis Grands Crus.

The vineyard

Château Grenouilles 2014 comes from the climat of Grenouilles, the smallest of the seven Chablis Grands Crus with less than 10 hectares. The estate spans 7.2 hectares in a single contiguous block, superbly exposed to the southwest facing the village of Chablis. The vines, averaging 35 to 40 years of age, grow on lean, stony clay-limestone soils over a Kimmeridgian subsoil made up of limestone marls rich in marine fossils. This unique geological makeup gives the wine its hallmark minerality and finely chiseled structure.

The vintage

The 2014 vintage in Burgundy promised to be exceptional despite a climatically complex year. After an early start to the season, violent hailstorms hit the vineyard in late June. The summer was cool and gloomy with recurring rainfall. However, September 2014 marked a decisive turning point with the return of sunshine and warm, dry conditions, allowing the grapes to reach optimal ripeness. This September even proved to be the hottest in 130 years, giving the wines purity, tension, and a great minerality characteristic of Chablis.

Winemaking and aging

Château Grenouilles 2014 benefits from meticulous winemaking tailored to expressing the terroir. Winemaking choices are made according to each parcel’s specific characteristics. Aging combines the use of stainless-steel tanks and carefully selected oak barrels, with extended aging on fine lees to develop aromatic complexity while preserving the Grand Cru’s signature mineral freshness.

Grape variety

100% Chardonnay