Chablis (wine region)

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The Chablis wine region

The wine-growing region of Chablis is the northernmost of the officially recognized by the INAO recognized wine-growing areas of the region of Burgundy . The name was particularly well known in the 1970s and 1980s and was a synonym for a dry white wine at that time . Before the introduction of trademark protection for the name Chablis, Australian and Californian winemakers in particular used this name on the bottle label to market their dry white wines even from other grape varieties with the catchy name - in the USA there is the paradox “Pink Chablis”, a rose-colored one Variant that is impossible to produce in the region of origin, as no red grapes are grown there.

Chablis is almost equidistant from Champagne , Sancerre on the Loire and the closest Burgundy locations on the Côte d'Or. In the opinion of French wine authors, the location around the 48th parallel at almost the same height as the city of Basel is considered the northern limit for the production of quality wines without the use of a particularly good microclimate . In France, only the Champagne and Alsace wine-growing regions are further north. Only the Chardonnay grape variety is grown within the scope of the legal requirements for the protected designation of origin of the area . The cool wine-growing climate gives the Chardonnay a pronounced acidity , which the winemaker usually leaves in favor of the fruitiness in the wine. The wines are therefore mostly matured in stainless steel tanks and do not go through malolactic fermentation (also called malolactic fermentation ). The steely acidity, which is strongly determined by the comparatively high proportion of malic acid , is one of the trademarks of Chablis and gives the white wine a remarkable longevity.

The highest quality is produced in the seven Grand Cru locations of the Chablis. The locations Blanchots , Bougros , Les Clos , Grenouilles , Preuses , Valmur and Vaudésir are not far from the town of Chablis on a hillside above the river Serein . A special feature of these locations, which are favored by the type of soil and the microclimate, is the formation of the goût de pierre à fusil , an aroma of flint .

Climate and soil

The climate in Burgundy is largely continental. Winter is noticeably cold, but the weather is mostly dry. Late frosts pose a particular threat in Chablis. In May, June and October, heavy rains often set in. Due to the northern location, the summers are comparatively short. Therefore, Burgundy is only suitable for early ripening grape varieties.

Climate, temperatures and rainfall

For the town of Auxerre (207 m), only 15 km further west, the following data was valid between 1961 and 1990:

month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec year
Mean minimum temperatures ° C 0.1 0.7 2.5 4.7 8.2 11.4 13.3 13.1 10.7 7.5 3.2 0.8 6.4
Average temperatures ° C 2.9 4.2 6.7 9.7 13.4 16.7 19.1 18.7 16 11.9 6.4 3.5 10.8
Mean maximum temperatures ° C 5.6 7.7 10.9 14.7 18.6 22.1 24.9 24.3 21.4 16.3 9.7 6.2 15.2
Mean monthly rainfall (mm) 54.2 50.1 49 43.4 74.9 62.5 47.2 54.9 52.1 58.1 52.8 57.3 656.6
Source: Archives climatologiques mensuelles - for Auxerre (1961–1990)

On a long-term average, snowfall can be expected on 20 days per year. The lowest daytime temperatures occur in February and early March. The absolute minima can be between −15 and −20 ° C. However, the late spring frosts, which can still occur in May, prove to be problematic for viticulture.

According to a study published by Joseph Sanson, the wind comes mostly from south to south-west and brings moist sea air. The winds from the north and north-east, which are also frequent, bring cold and dry air.

Risk of frost

A main focus of the winemakers in Chablis is to avoid frost damage in late spring. The wine-growing area is located near the northern border of the zone, in which commercial viticulture is reliably possible. The vine sprouts in spring from an average soil temperature of 13 ° C and an average air temperature of 7.5 ° C. This temperature level is reached in Chablis by the end of March or beginning of April at the latest. On the other hand, there is a risk of late night frosts up to the beginning of May, which can damage the fresh shoots of the vine. Until the late 1950s, winemakers had to live with this constant danger and regularly lost up to 50 percent of a normal harvest. The year 1957 was the absolute low point for modern viticulture in Chablis. The total harvest was 1092 hectoliters. The Grand Cru vineyards were hit particularly hard. In 1957 only 132 bottles of Chablis Grand Cru were filled. The Chablis Premier Cru vineyards came off best. At least 15 percent of a normal harvest year could still be harvested in these locations . After the already difficult years 1945, 1951 and 1953, the winemakers decided to use an expensive heating system in the vineyards. In every third row of vines, small heating or smoking ovens operated with heating oil are set up at a distance of 2.5 m. In this way, 1 hectare of vineyards is protected by 200 to 250 ovens. The oil consumption per hectare is 140 liters / hour.

In the initial phase after the introduction of this measure, the winemakers had to start the ovens in the vineyard at night when the critical frost temperature was reached. Today an oil pipe leads to the individual ovens, which are switched by a temperature sensor in the vineyard.

It was not until the late 1970s that irrigation systems were installed near the vine shoots to combat frost. When the frost limit is reached, the system is switched on. A layer of ice covers the young shoots. Continuous spraying ensures a constant transition of new water from the liquid to the solid phase. The transition between the two physical states of water and ice takes place at a temperature close to freezing point. A certain amount of heat is required for each phase transition or is released in the process. During the transition from water to ice, heat of crystallization is released, which benefits the protection of the shoot. In addition, young shoots can withstand temperatures down to −5 ° C for a short time. The sprinkler systems are operated for up to 5–6 hours on frosty days in spring. Despite the difficulty of keeping the spray nozzles open and the expensive installation costs, the system was able to prevail, especially in some Chablis Premier Cru locations and in all Grand Cru locations. The vines of the Grand Cru sites are wetted by the water of the river Serein. The irrigation systems of the Premier Cru locations such as the well-known Fourchaume are fed from ponds specially created for this purpose, for example in the legs .

The EDF SA (EDF), the state-dominated French electricity company , working with the renowned vineyards William Fèvre and Long-Depaquit to an alternate system. At the height of the new shoots (the position of the new vegetation is by Vines , and determines the winter pruning) is tensioned along the row of vines a heating wire. If there is a risk of frost, the heating wire is placed under electrical voltage. The air can be kept almost frost-free within a radius of 5–6 centimeters around the wire. The system reaches its limits when the spring frost occurs extremely late and the young shoots are already quite long. According to EDF, the advantages are the low operating costs and the minimal maintenance effort. The installation costs, however, are high.

Since 1995 some rows of vines have been protected with a perforated plastic sheet during the critical period of frost. The climate of an unheated greenhouse is created under the foil tunnel. Excess moisture can escape through the holes in the film. Obviously this system is tolerated by the INAO. In other wine-growing regions of France, the use of plastic sheeting to protect against excessive September rain was prohibited by the INAO. Such a measure is against nature and falsifies the unique selling point of every terroir .

geography

The vineyards are located in the Auxerre arrondissement , part of the Yonne department . The Chablis growing area was largely shaped by the River Serein. Faults and erosion opened up soils of different geological ages near Chablis .

The limestone of Tonnerre belongs geologically to the lower Kimmeridgian and belongs to the family of low-solidified chalk . This limestone can only be found in the south of the Chablis growing area. This geological age takes its name from the village of Kimmeridge on the Jurassic Coast . The Jurassic Coast is a section along the southern English Channel coast. It begins south of Poole in Dorset and extends for about 150 km to Exmouth in Devon .

On the chalk soil of Tonnerre, the next layer of the kimmeridgium was formed by the deposition of shells from mussels. In the Chablis this layer is between 20 and 30 m thick. The rock is hard enough to form steep slopes in the terrain, but hardly plays a role in viticulture.

The limestone and marl of the middle Kimmeridgian form an 80 m thick layer here. The limestone, which is rich in fossil remains of the Exogyra virgula mussel species , and the gray marl alternate regularly in the sequence of layers. Due to the effect of erosion, the slopes in the area of ​​these soils are mostly gentle, but can be steep at times. The best Chablis wines grow on these soils. The importance of the subsoil on the quality of the wine seems justified, as the wines from Sancerre on the Loire are often assigned similar quality attributes despite a different grape variety. The common denominator here is the soil.

The limestone of Barrois lies on the Kimmeridgian and belongs to the geological age of the Tithonian . Until 1990 the name Portlandium was still in use. This limestone is usually located at a height of 130 to 230 m. Since this stage is also regularly traversed by layers of marl, viticulture is also possible there. Much of the Petit Chablis grows on the soils of the Tithonium.

Both Kimmeridgian and Tithonian are degrees of the Jurassic.

At Chablis there are still the steps of the Hauterivium and the sandy marl soils of the Barremium on the Tithonium . Both stages are irrelevant for viticulture.

The erosion work of the Serein and glacier work during the last Ice Age resulted in south-facing slopes near Chablis within the ideal soil type. Parallel to the Serein, the Armançon did a similar job and created the conditions for the Tonnerrois vineyards near Épineuil . South of Auxerre, the Yonne formed the wine-growing region near Irancy .

Grape varieties and appellations

In addition to the designations of origin, which are directly linked to the name Chablis, the winemakers are free to market their wines under the regional appellations of Burgundy. In addition to the sparkling wine Crémant de Bourgogne , red and white wines with the names Bourgogne , Bourgogne Aligoté , Bourgogne Passetoutgrains and Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire can also be produced. However, this offer is hardly taken up by the winemakers, as the name Chablis is prestigious and a higher market price can be expected.

Chardonnay grapes from Avize in nearby Champagne

In addition to the regional designations of origin, the INAO institute has defined 4 AOC areas that apply exclusively within the Chablis wine-growing region and are practically built up as an onion skin model around the municipality of Chablis:

  • The Denomination of Origin Petit Chablis : Wines that are mostly produced on the heights around Chablis on soils of the Portlandium. The yield limit is 50 hl / ha.
  • The designation of origin Chablis : the vines of this appellation grow on a hillside, but the orientation to the sun to the north or east is not optimal in the cool wine-growing climate of the region. However, the vines benefit from the influence of the soils of the Kimmeridgian. The yield limit is also here at 50 hl / ha.
  • The designation of origin Chablis Premier Cru : a total of 79 small demarcations on slopes facing south or west. In addition to the better microclimate, these markings offer the vines a good subsoil. The yield limit is the same as with the simpler Chablis.
  • The Chablis Grand Cru designation of origin : in addition to an optimal microclimate due to a south-facing hillside location and the best exposed subsoil of the Kimmeridgium, the wine benefits from an upper yield limit of a maximum of 45 hl / ha.

Only the Chardonnay grape variety is permitted for the development of the last four designations of origin.

As part of the regional appellations, the winemakers are also allowed to cultivate the grape varieties Aligoté , César , Gamay , Melon de Bourgogne , Pinot Noir , Pinot Blanc , Pinot Gris , Sauvignon Blanc , Sacy and Tressot .

Chablis Premier Cru

Of the total of 40 Premiers Crus locations, 17 were rated as important. Neighboring layers were assigned to these important individual layers. It is up to the winemaker whether he mentions the more well-known superordinate site name or the more specific subordinate name on the label.

On the orographically right side of the Serein are the vineyards Berdiot, Côte de Vaubarousse, Fourchaume (with the Premiers Crus vineyards L'Homme Mort , Vaupulent , Côte de Fontenay , Vaurolent ), Les Fourneaux ( Morein , Côte des Prés Girots ) , Mont de Milieu, Montée de Tonnerre ( Chapelot , Pied d'Aloup , Côte de Bréchain ) and Vaucoupin. On the left side of the river you can find the vineyards Beauregards ( Côte de Cuissy ), Beauroy ( Troesmes , Côte de Savant ), Chaume de Talvat, Côte de Jouan, Côte de Léchet, Montmains ( Forêt , Butteaux ), Vaillons ( Châtains , Sécher , Beugnons , Les Lys , Mélinots , Roncières , Les Epinottes ), Vau de Vay ( Vaux Ragons ), Vau Ligneau and Vosgros ( Vaugiraut ).

The locations of Montée de Tonnerre, Fourchaume, Forêt and Vaillons have a recognized good reputation.

Chablis Grand Cru

The Grand Cru vineyards of Chablis. From left to right - Les Preuses, Vaudésir, Les Grenouilles (near the house, the Moulin des Croix ), Valmur, Les Clos, Blanchot and beyond the Vallée de Brechain, the premier cru location Montée de Tonnerre.

Of the total of 4870 hectares of vineyards in the Chablis wine-growing region, only 100 hectares are accounted for by the prestigious Grand Cru sites, which are located on the hillside on the orographic right bank of the Serein. Seen from Chablis, the names of the individual vineyards are Bougros , Les Preuses , Vaudésir , Les Grenouilles , Valmur , Les Clos and Blanchot from left to right .

  • Les Clos is the largest of the individual layers with 26.0475 hectares and is generally considered to be the best. The wines are described as powerful, intense, fragrant and long-lasting.
  • Valmur (13.1959 hectares) are also powerful but have a steely acidity than Les Clos. They are therefore strict and closed in their youth and benefit from a longer bottle aging .
  • Vaudésir (14.7136 hectares) are slightly less mineral than the aforementioned Valmur and therefore more accessible in the first two years after bottling. The wines of Vaudésir are therefore preferred by lovers of fragrant plants.
  • Les Preuses (11.4426 hectares): the south-facing vineyard produces ripe and full wines, which, however, lack the typical steely acidity of a Chablis, especially in good years.
  • Les Grenouilles (9.3775 hectares) is the smallest of the individual Grand Cru vineyards in Chablis and is mostly managed by the La Chablisienne wine cooperative . The strong wines often lack elegance.
  • Blanchot (12.7153 hectares). Due to the southeast orientation of the slope, the vines lack the afternoon sun. The light wines are fruity and floral. They only need a little bottle aging to develop their full quality.
  • Bougros (12.6277 hectares) completes the Grand Cru locations in the northwest. Due to the suboptimal exposure to sunlight, the wines are less mineral and less fine than those of other Grand Cru sites.

Wine-growing practice in Chablisien

As in all of Europe, viticultural practice saw great improvements at the end of the 20th century. A better understanding of malolactic fermentation gives the winemaker the opportunity to use the malolactic fermentation systematically or to avoid it with certainty. The use of temperature control during the fermentation process helps to develop fruity white wines. The fruit harvester has been used in Chablis since the early 1980s .

Manual or machine harvest

Grape harvester in 2006

In the gently rolling landscape around Chablis, the use of the harvester quickly established itself. Despite the weaknesses of the technology, the advantages for the winemaker outweighed it. The time required for harvesting the grapes could be reduced from 200–250 hours / ha to 3–6 hours / ha thanks to the mechanical harvest. In addition to cost savings, the harvest can be obtained in a significantly shorter time frame. A harvest that is initiated quickly can be crucial for quality, especially before a bad weather period has been announced. On the other hand, a correspondingly large processing capacity must be available on the side of the cellar technology in order to process the grapes promptly. Especially on warm days, if the berries are left standing for a long time, the berries burst open prematurely in the harvest container, leading to uncontrolled mash fermentation. Poor hygiene and open contact with oxygen lead to microbiological undesirable developments and thus to wine defects .

While the use of machine harvesting is common practice for the Petit Chablis and Chablis appellations of origin, the use of this technique in the area of ​​Premier Cru and Grand Cru locations remains controversial. The harvester loosens the ripe berries from the stem by shaking them vigorously. The critics claim that loosening the stalk causes a small damage to the berry and thus premature oxidation of the grapes. Overripe and rotten berries are also harvested. With manual harvest, such berries are sorted out and left in the vineyard. Especially in the bad 2001 vintage, a lot of cellar technology was needed to correct this disadvantage.

Since the slopes of the Grand Cru sites were too steep for mechanical harvest up to the beginning of the 21st century, there was no alternative to hand-picking. However, there are now full harvesters on the market that can be used in up to 60 percent steep terrain. The 15 members of the Union des Grands Crus de Chablis therefore laid down a manual harvest in the association's charter .

Oak barrel

The Chardonnay grape variety provides wines that can be matured in oak barrels. In contrast to other white wines in Burgundy, a Chablis does not always come into contact with oak. A fermentation and in stainless steel tanks provides a pure-toned Chablis with a strong acid and a typical mineral which is often described as a flint taste. Since 2001, the thiol benzyl mercaptan , which can be formed from benzaldehyde under as yet unknown conditions , has been responsible for this taste note . Important representatives of this style are the Domaine Louis Michel et Fils (also called Domaine de la Tour Vaubourg), the Domaine Long-Depaquit belonging to the Albert Bichot trading company , the Château de Maligny , Domaine de l'Églantière and Domaine belonging to the Durup family Jean Durup Père et Fils and the Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard and Domaine des Malandes . But the trading house Maison Regnard also pursues this approach. The majority of the wines with the appellations of origin Petit Chablis and Chablis belong to this type of wine.

Another group of producers ferment their wines in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and then fill the wines into mostly old oak barrels. This will avoid the pronounced vanilla taste of new oak. Jean-Marc Raveneau and Vincent Dauvissat are pursuing this strategy. They believe that the gentle contact with the oxygen that enters the wine through the barrel wall gives the Chablis more complexity.

Until his retirement in 1998, William Fèvre replaced a third of his small oak barrels with new barriques every year . Both fermentation and expansion took place in contact with oak. Since the family of Joseph Henriot (the family also owns the Champagne Henriot and the Burgundian trading house Bouchard Père et Fils ) took over the Fèvre winery for 25 years, the use of new wood has been severely restricted and is currently around 2 percent.

history

The settlement of the community Chablis can so far on the 2nd century BC. Be backdated. The remains of a Gallic settlement were found at the southern end of today's municipality .

Caesar's campaigns during the conquest of Gaul. Viticulture followed to supply the Roman legions with wine.

As a result of the subjugation of Gaul during the Gallic War by Gaius Iulius Caesar , viticulture with the Roman legions reached Burgundy via the Rhone Valley and even as far as the Moselle and the Rhine.

Despite the short reign of the Roman emperor Probus (232–282), in some regions he is now one of the Roman emperors known to laypeople. This comes from a message in the Probus biography of the Historia Augusta , where it says in chapter 18.8:

"Gallis omnibus et Hispanis ac Brittannis hinc permisit, ut vites haberent vinumque conficerent."
"He allowed all Gauls, Spaniards and British to own vines and make wine."

That is why Probus is considered to be the one who introduced viticulture there in numerous wine-growing regions north of the Alps (for example in Austria and on the Moselle ) . What is certain is that wine production in these regions was demonstrably significant after the middle of the 3rd century .

In 853, the Basilica of Saint-Martin de Tours was burned down by the Normans under their leader Hasting, as were the other churches in the city of Tours - the relics of Saint-Martin had previously been brought to the Abbey of Saint-Paul de Cormery . In 854 the monks of the Marmoutier monastery fled with the relics from the attacks of the Vikings and found shelter in the Abbey of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre in Auxerre . 13 years later, Charles the Bald bequeathed the hamlet of Chablis and the Saint-Loup monastery to the monks from Tours. The monks expanded the modest viticulture and planted some of the still known vineyards on the Serein river on slopes. In 877, the monks also brought the relics to the Saint-Loup monastery, dedicated to Lupus de Sens .

The influence of the nobility and the church

The wine press of the Petit Pontigny, an establishment created by the monks of Pontigny

In 1114 was in 15 kilometers from Chablis remote Pontigny the Cistercian abbey Pontigny founded. Only 4 years later, the monks of Pontigny were granted the right to cultivate 36 arpents carré (around 22 hectares) of vineyards in Chablis. For the purpose of aging and storing the wine, they built the Petit Pontigny in Chablis , whose wine cellar still exists today and which houses the Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne von Chablis.

The practice of the Ban des vendanges is known as early as 1230 . This vineyard ban was applied in Burgundy since 1187 at the latest. The Chablis community flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries. With the new buildings of the Collégiale Saint Martin, the Church of Saint Pierre, the Hôtel Dieu and the Prieuré Saint Cosme, important buildings arose that can be traced back to the presence of the monks and the income from viticulture.

Reconstructed temperature history over the last 1,000 years according to various sources

The climate was comparatively mild from the 9th to the 14th century . This period is also called the Medieval Warm Period or Medieval Climate Optimum . Regionally and at different times, the annual average temperature during this time was a few tenths and up to 1.0 degrees Celsius higher than usual. Favored by the warm climate, the population generally grew strongly. Viticulture flourished throughout Europe. Significant vineyards were created near the cities in order to be able to supply the local market. Not least because of the fact that wine was often cleaner and poorer than water because of its alcohol content , its popularity rose even further.

In a survey from 1328, a vineyard area of ​​500 hectares was noted in Chablis, which was distributed among 450 wine growers. The wine was already being sold far beyond the borders of the surrounding region. The goods came to nearby Auxerre by land. From there the wine was shipped across the Yonne and Seine rivers to Paris . Partial deliveries were later brought to Rouen and exported to England from there. A register of the Compagnies Françaises from 1455 shows that the Compiègne- based company supplied the Picardy and Flanders region with Chablis wine.

The construction of the new city wall between 1405 and 1416 was financed , among other things, by means of a tax called courte-pinte (short pinte). The measure of space for beverages was in the old France pint that about 2 pints corresponded. After the first phase of the Hundred Years War , a tax was levied on the consumption of wine in Burgundy to finance fortifications. In order not to increase the price per unit served, the courte-pinte, the smaller (or short) pint, was introduced, which was offered at the same price as the former pint.

The city wall comprised a total of 29 defense towers and 3 city gates, but could not enclose the entire community. The prosperity of the community attracted other professional groups. In 1478, Pierre Lerouge founded the fifth printing company in France (after Paris in 1469, Metz in 1471, Lyon in 1473 and Angers in 1477). In 1537 Chablis already had 4200 inhabitants.

The time of the Huguenot Wars weighed heavily on Chablis. After François de Coligny-d'Andelot had taken Orléans by surprise on April 2, 1562 , he enlisted an army of 3,300 horsemen and 4,000 mercenaries in Hesse , with whom he stood alongside Louis I de Bourbon, prince de Condé in 1562 Battle of Dreux fought. On the way to Dreux , Chablis remained undisturbed, but the neighboring hamlet of Préhy was already badly damaged.

As part of the 2nd Huguenot War , there was an attack on the Pontigny monastery. The monks fled to Chablis in the Petit Pontigny, which they owned, but which was not protected by the new city wall. The Calvinists followed the monks and initially devastated the unarmed part of Chablis. After a three-day siege, the protected part of the municipality was also taken on February 25, 1568. Only the payment of a sum of 4,000 livres to Sarrazin, the leader of the besiegers, could prevent the complete destruction of the community. After the arrival of the royal troops, the Calvinists were displaced to Courgis , 10 km south . The Peace of Longjumeau , signed on March 2, 1568, ended the conflict in the vicinity of Chablis.

After the unrest in the 16th century, viticulture recovered very quickly in the entire Yonne department . Due to the proximity to Paris and the easy transport route over the Yonne and Seine, the sale of the wine was secured for a long time. In the same century, Chablis wine was also noticed in England and became increasingly popular. As a result, the Yonne department became France's most important wine supplier, although the quality of the wines left a lot to be desired. In 1788 a vineyard area of ​​32,168 hectares was raised. The municipal area of ​​Chablis alone accounted for almost 600 hectares.

Up until the French Revolution , the nobility and the monasteries controlled the wine market. From 1791, the goods confiscated during the Revolution (the so-called biens nationaux) were sold or auctioned and mostly divided among many owners. A further fragmentation of the agricultural land took place through the inheritance law established according to the Code Napoléon .

The time of decline

The main lines of the French railways in 1856. The alignment of the lines centered on Paris is the result of a law.

The change of ownership did not affect viticulture in the Yonne department. The historical high that is still valid today is the year 1874, when 43,503 hectares of vineyards were declared. Strangely, Chablis was barely able to benefit from this bull market. However, from 1851 onwards disaster was looming. With the expansion of the French rail network (→ History of the Railways in France ), wines from southern growing areas also reached Paris with ease. In just twenty years, wine production in Languedoc has quadrupled.

In 1854 powdery mildew attacked the vineyards around Auxerre and Chablis and temporarily decimated yields. In particular, the Tressot grape variety, which is hardly known today, was a victim of powdery mildew. When the south of France was hit by the phylloxera disaster in 1868 , the winemakers in the Yonne department compensated for the lack of supplies from the Languedoc.

The popularity of the Chablis extended far beyond the borders of France and also found its way into world literature. In Leo Tolstoy's novel Anna Karenina, written between 1873 and 1877, the protagonist's choice of wine in the restaurant is a champagne and a Chablis.

Only 14 years after the Languedoc, the phylloxera spread in the Yonne department. Between 1886 and 1904 the area under vines fell from almost 34,000 to just under 12,200 hectares. When downy mildew caused the first damage in 1910 , the yield area was only 3,800 hectares.

Although viticulture at Chablis initially suffered less from growing competition from its own country, the fungal diseases and the political unrest of the two world wars resulted in poor harvests and poor sales. In addition, viticulture in the south of France recovered faster than expected and increasingly secured the important market of Paris.

In the municipality of Chablis, only 224 hectares of vineyards were raised in 1958, i.e. only a third of the area that existed at the end of the 19th century. By introducing measures against the damage caused by the spring frost, viticulture could be made profitable again for the winemakers. André Dominé suspects that the sudden increase in popularity of the Chablis is also due to the media effectiveness of the rescue measures in a wine-growing region that has almost disappeared.

The situation since 1970

In the middle of the 19th century, Jules Guyot found that the quality of Chablis wines should be rated higher than their reputation at the time. Guyot was from Napoleon III. been commissioned to take stock of the French wine-growing regions.

Until 1970 the market balance between quality, reputation and demand worked well. The good reputation of Chablis wine was based on its high quality. Due to the good reputation, the demand increased and ensured a good livelihood for the winemakers. This favorable situation encouraged investments in the vineyard and wine cellar and thus ensured an increase in the quality of the product. In addition to the classic European market, there was increasing demand from the US.

Since the early 1980s, demand rose sharply as Chablis wine became very popular in Japan . Due to the limited cultivation area, the yields per hectare increased and had a negative effect on the quality of the wines. Plagiarism also increased , particularly from California and Australia. The winemakers used the catchy name to market dry wines. White wines were marketed under the names Mountain Chablis , Chablis Nature , Gold Chablis and London Chablis . But also rosé wines under the name Pink Chablis and red wine ( Ruby Chablis ) were available. The market for plagiarized wines was estimated at 2 million hectoliters (= 260 million bottles) annually.

There were frequent reports of Chablis wines that deteriorated in quality after just a few months of bottle storage. Clive Coates names possible reasons:

  • 95 percent of the harvest is brought in with the grape harvester. In this case, a first selection at harvest no longer takes place. The vineyards of the Grand Cru locations are excluded from machine harvesting.
  • The yields in Chablis are too high.
  • Since the beginning of the 1980s, the yield area has increased sharply. The proportion of young vines is comparatively high and therefore does not allow the production of rich wines.
  • Too often, to get the wines to market quickly, they are clarified and filtered.
  • The soil of the Kimmeridgium is poorer in nutrients than that of the Portlandium. Any increase in yield quickly shows quality-reducing consequences on poor soils.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Recueil de données statistiques relative à la climatologie de la France , by Joseph Sanson, Mémorial de la Météorologie nationale, Paris 1945
  2. ^ Walter Hillebrand, Heinz Lott and Franz Pfaff: Taschenbuch der Rebsorten p. 25, Fachverlag Fraund, Mainz 2003
  3. ^ Pierre Galet: Cépages et Vignobles de France , p. 1040
  4. ↑ An overview of the best Premier Cru locations in Burgundy (PDF; 416 kB)  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , in French@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.vins-et-terroirs.com  
  5. ↑ Edgar Müller, Gerd Schulze, Oswald Walg: Viticulture - paperback ; 11th edition; Fachverlag Fraund; Mainz 2000; Pp. 182-185
  6. ↑ Harvesters are revolutionizing work management in steep-slope viticulture  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. - Press release of the MWVLW , from September 25, 2007@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.mwvlw.rlp.de  
  7. ↑ Varietal aroma compound (PDF; 189 kB) ( Memento of the original dated December 30, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / people.ok.ubc.ca
  8. ^ Jean-Francois Bazin: Histoire du vin de Bourgogne , p. 44
  9. ^ André Dominé: Wein , p. 187
  10. ↑ a b Pierre Galet: Cépages et Vignobles de France , p. 1026
  11. ^ Yoshinori Ichikawa: Le vin de Chablis: histoire et geographie d'une réputation ; PhD thesis, presented on May 27, 2008
  12. ^ Pierre Galet: Cépages et Vignobles de France , p. 1043
  13. ↑ Clive Coates: The wines of Burgundy , p. 49