The Chablis wine region is the northernmost sector of Burgundy, France, and also the name of a town located there. A glass of red wine Wine display at the Mt Markey Winery This article is about the beverage. ... Coat of arms of the 2nd duchy of JOSH GARLAND Burgundy and later of the French province of Burgundy Burgundy (French: Bourgogne) is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Pre-Indo-European people, Celts (Gauls), Romans (Gallo-Romans), and various Germanic tribes, most importantly the Burgundians and...

All wines in the appellation are white wines from Chardonnay grapes (although there are some smaller minor appellations nearby that produce wines from Pinot Noir, Aligoté, Sauvignon Blanc and others). The area is made up of 20 or so small villages clustered around the centrally located village of Chablis. The region is divided in two by the Serein River. An appellation in its broadest sense is a name or designation. ... Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make a white varietal wine. ... Pinot Noir is a red wine grape variety, considered to make some of the greatest wines. ... Aligoté is a white grape used to make white wines in the Burgundy region of France. ... Sauvignon blanc is a white wine grape probably originating in the Bordeaux region of France that is now planted in much of the worlds winelands producing a crisp dry refreshing white varietal wine. ...

The Grand Crus of Chablis are connected on a chain of three interlocking slopes on the right bank overlooking the Serein. The 7 Grand Cru vineyards are (from southeast to northwest): Blanchot, Les Clos, Valmur, Grenouilles, Vaudesir, Les Preuses and Bougros. The Premier Crus are situated on a series of hillsides both on the left and right side of the river. The best Premier Crus are, like the Grand Crus, on the right bank facing the southwest (notably, Fourchaume vineyard, located one mile to the north). The soil is a unique combination of clay and chalk called “Kimmeridgian”, and it is profusely littered by fossils of comma-shaped oysters. It gives the wines a unique profile of aromas and flavors. It is often referred to as a gout de la pierre la fusil, or gunflint character. Another oft-mentioned characterization is that of "wet rocks". The fruit flavor is very reserved, as Chablis' northern location produces grapes that just barely reach an acceptable level of ripeness. Expect green apples, pineapples and pink grapefruits. Finally, the wines are also typified by their bracing acidity, often unforgiving in the wines’ youth (but improved by decanting young vintages before serving), which allows the wines to age very well. Grand Cru is the highest level of classification of AOC wines from Burgundy or Alsace, those that come from a single vineyard. ... First Growth (French Premier Cru) status refers to the greatest wines of the Bordeaux region. ... Clay is a generic term for an aggregate of hydrous silicate particles less than 4 μm (micrometres) in diameter. ... The Needles, part of the extensive Southern England Chalk Formation Chalk is a soft, white, porous form of limestone composed of the mineral calcium carbonate. ... The name oyster is used for a number of different groups of mollusks which grow for the most part in marine or brackish water. ...

The 2002 vintage in particular will age exceptionally well for years to come.

Misuse of the name "Chablis"

In an attempt to gain an association with the highly regarded French wines, the name "Chablis" has also been used on bottles of lesser quality American white wine (eg, California's Central Valley) with no connection with the French region. This is an example of foreign branding. The practice became common enough that "Chablis," associated with a domestic wine, ultimately came to convey an image of cheapness. The California Central Valley The California Central Valley dominates the central portion of the state of California. ... Foreign branding is an advertising and marketing term describing the implied cachet or superiority of domestic products with a foreign or foreign-sounding name. ...

External link

• Complete List of Chablis Premier Crus