La Chablisienne : Chablis Grand cru "Château Grenouilles" 2021

Tasting Notes and Recommendations for the Chablis Grand Cru "Château Grenouilles" 2021 from La Chablisienne

Tasting

Appearance
The wine displays a pale gold hue with silvery highlights.

Nose
The nose opens on delicate citrus aromas, notably lemon and bergamot, accompanied by subtle floral notes of honeysuckle. With aeration, the bouquet gradually reveals a signature mineral dimension, evoking gunflint and iodine-tinged nuances.

Palate
The attack is broad and complex. The palate reveals remarkable richness while maintaining an elegant framework and vibrant acidity. Notes of dried fruits, especially almond, mingle with ripe white-fruit aromas such as peach and pear. The texture captivates with its striking finesse. Long and persistent, the finish lingers on spicy notes of white pepper and a saline mineral freshness.

Food and wine pairings

This Chablis Grand cru pairs ideally with fresh oysters and seafood. It matches beautifully with lobster in butter, grilled or roasted fish, as well as truffle-based dishes. Foie gras terrine also makes for a refined pairing. Poultry in a cream sauce and aged goat cheeses round out this exceptional wine in harmony.

Serving and cellaring

The Chablis Grand cru "Château Grenouilles" 2021 deserves several years in the cellar to fully reveal its complexity. Its significant aging potential will allow it to evolve favorably for a decade or more. It is best served at a temperature between 10 and 12°C.

An outstanding Chablis Grand Cru from the smallest Climat in the appellation

The estate

Founded on May 1, 1923 at the initiative of Abbé Balitrand, La Chablisienne is today the leading wine cooperative of the Chablis appellation in Bourgogne. Bringing together around 250 to 300 member winegrowers, it accounts for more than 25% of total Chablis production and farms approximately 1,250 hectares of vines. Since 2008, the cooperative has been led by Damien Leclerc. La Chablisienne stands out for its innovative system of delivering musts rather than finished wines, enabling full control over the winemaking process. In 2003, it acquired the prestigious Château Grenouilles, a 7.2-hectare estate representing about 75 to 80% of the smallest Grand Cru of Chablis. The cooperative is actively committed to sustainable development through Terra Vitis, Haute Valeur Environnementale and Vignerons Engagés certifications.

The vineyard

The Chablis Grand cru "Château Grenouilles" comes from the Climat Grenouilles, the smallest of Chablis’s seven Grands Crus, with just 9.38 hectares in total. Located on the right bank of the Serein, in the heart of the Colline des Grands Crus, this vineyard enjoys an ideal southwest exposure. The soils are made up of hallmark Kimmeridgian limestone marls, enriched with oyster fossils dating back to the Jurassic era. These geological formations give the wine its distinctive minerality. The Château Grenouilles vines average 35 to 40 years of age, with some plots dating back to the 1940s. The steep slope ensures optimal drainage, encouraging full phenolic ripeness in the chardonnay.

The vintage

The 2021 vintage proved particularly demanding for Chablis winegrowers. A mild winter triggered early budbreak, leaving young shoots vulnerable to the devastating April frosts that destroyed a significant share of the potential crop. Humid conditions in mid-summer encouraged the development of fungal diseases, requiring heightened vigilance and rigorous sorting at harvest. Despite these climatic challenges, which reduced yields by around 30% compared with normal levels, the moderate temperatures at the end of summer and through autumn made it possible to obtain healthy, balanced grapes, giving rise to wines that are elegant, racy and endowed with fine aromatic freshness.

Winemaking and aging

The Chablis Grand cru "Château Grenouilles" 2021 was harvested exclusively by hand, allowing for meticulous selection of the bunches. After additional sorting at the winery, the grapes were vinified with care. The wine underwent extended aging on fine lees, a technique that promotes aromatic complexity and texture. Part of the aging took place in oak barrels, including around 30% new barrels, for 16 to 18 months. This approach preserves the pure expression of the Kimmeridgian terroir while bringing structure and aging potential to the wine.

Grape variety

Chardonnay (100%)