Simonnet-Febvre : Chablis 1er cru "Mont de Milieu" 2020

Characteristics and tasting advice for the Chablis Premier Cru "Mont de Milieu" 2020 from Simonnet-Febvre

Tasting

Color

With lovely intensity and silvery highlights, the color is typical of a white wine fermented in stainless-steel tanks. This crystalline, luminous hue reflects the purity of the winemaking.

Nose

The nose reveals remarkable aromatic complexity. It opens with clear fruity notes and hallmark iodine-like aromas. With aeration, subtly grilled and toasty nuances emerge, alongside hints of white-fleshed fruit, eucalyptus and white flowers reminiscent of acacia.

Palate

The palate is rounded on the attack, unveiling generous substance and fine concentration. Notes of pineapple and toasted hazelnuts unfold harmoniously, while fresh white fruit—particularly vine peach—remains dominant. The wine offers striking mineral freshness, a zesty liveliness balanced by ample structure, and a finish defined by lovely minerality with persistent length on the palate.

Food and wine pairings

This Chablis Premier Cru is an ideal match for seafood such as oysters, shrimp, mussels and scallops. It also pairs beautifully with fish in delicate sauces, particularly beurre blanc, as well as with poached poultry or sweetbreads. Aged cheeses—especially goat cheeses and bloomy-rind cheeses—are also excellent partners. Asparagus forms a classic, harmonious pairing with this wine.

Serving and cellaring

The Chablis Premier Cru "Mont de Milieu" 2020 is best enjoyed at a temperature between 10 and 12°C. This wine offers excellent aging potential and can be enjoyed through around 2028.

A sun-kissed Chablis Premier Cru expressing the typical minerality of a great Burgundy wine

The estate

Founded in 1840 in Chablis by Jean Febvre, Simonnet-Febvre is one of the oldest houses in Bourgogne. Acquired in 2003 by the Louis Latour group, it has been led by Paul Espitalié since 2019. The House stands out for its unique status in Chablis: it is the only one to have perpetuated, since its founding, the production of Crémants de Bourgogne using the traditional method. Simonnet-Febvre owns vineyards in Chablis, in the Grand Auxerrois and on the hillsides of the Auxois, with a strong commitment to converting its plots to organic farming by 2026.

The vineyard

The Mont de Milieu climat is one of the most prestigious Premiers Crus in Chablis. Located on the right bank of the Serein, this hillside of around forty-four hectares benefits from an exceptional south/southeast exposure, ensuring extended sunshine and temperatures above the regional average. The remarkably homogeneous soil is composed of Kimmeridgian formations combining calcareous clays and small white limestone pebbles. This geological makeup gives Chardonnay very distinctive mineral aromas, often described as chalky or iodine-like. The vines behind this cuvée averaged thirty-five years of age in the 2020 vintage.

The vintage

The year 2020 in Chablis was marked by the notably early onset of the growing cycle. After a mild, wet winter, budbreak occurred as early as the second half of March. Summer set in hot and dry, occasionally slowing ripening while limiting berry size. A few beneficial rains in August made it possible to complete maturation. The growing cycle stayed fifteen to twenty days ahead of average, with the first harvest beginning as early as August twenty-fourth. The excellent health of the vineyard yielded promising juices with vibrant acidity, dazzling fruit and optimal preservation of tartaric acid, ensuring the wine’s balance and freshness.

Winemaking and aging

Winemaking for the Chablis Premier Cru "Mont de Milieu" 2020 took place in stainless-steel tanks in order to preserve its hallmark minerality and the precise expression of the terroir. Alcoholic fermentations were carried out at controlled temperatures between 17 and 21°C. The wine then remained on its fine lees for twelve months, gradually gaining complexity, volume and depth on the palate. During this period, 25% of the volume was aged in French oak barrels, while the remaining 75% stayed in stainless-steel tanks, thereby favoring the preservation of minerality.

Grape variety

100% Chardonnay