The lovely town of Chablis is known to locals as La Porte d’Or de la Bourgogne, or The Golden Door of Burgundy.  Its vines, and coffers, are proudly rooted in a mercantile past and vibrant present, exemplified perfectly by Chardonnay’s most stylish incarnation, in the form of the steely and sophisticated Chablis.

Winemakers in the region may be standing on the shoulders of giants, yet the phylloxera crisis in 1981 reduced their hectares from 40,000 to 3,000 and has made the survivors as flinty as their wines.  Gerard Tremblay is one such pioneer.  He has been making Chablis from a small, family-run vineyard since 1973, with rather beautiful results.

On a property covering 34 hectares, including 10 in Premiers Crus and others in Chablis, Petit Chablis and Grand Crus,  Tremblay is known to be obsessed with quality and unafraid to use 20th century methods to extract the most authentic expression of the terroir.  Chablis insiders will note that his wines are treated like children, all unmistakably different yet equally special, from the entry-level Chablis to Grand Cru Vaudesir.

The first wine tasted was Chablis Premier Cru Montmains 2008.  The nose is characteristic of the grape, with peppery citrus such as grapefruit and Sicilian lemon, followed by white pepper and a dab of butter, all encased in grassy freshness.  On the tongue, gun-flint comes swiftly, yet there is a sleek, softness that lingers briefly, combined with a dry finish.  Full of minerals from its fossil-rich limestone soil, a steely sapidity pairs well with bright acidity.

Usually, Chablis is handled in stainless steel tanks, yet in the Premier and Grand Crus, oak is sometimes used to add tannic struture.  Tremblay ages 20% of his Montmains in oak barrels, adding a toastiness that blends imperceptibly with fruity spice, adding body and depth.  This wine would be lovely paired with veal piccata or herb-crusted halibut.  

The second wine, one year younger and fully unoaked, was Chablis 2009.  Another beast entirely, the floral, perfumed notes really shone through.  Sniffing this wine was like walking in a field of freesia and wildflowers in the springtime, perhaps near an orchard with blossoms just turning into fruit.   

Green apple, pear and tarragon were noted, followed by a whisper of honeysuckle.  Clean and bright on the palate, with strong minerality and sparkling acidity, it is a delicate, thin and wispy wine, not unlike a Parisian female, charming and elegant and just a bit sharp.  I would suggest this wine with broiled lobster or seared scallops with mango coulis.

Gerard Tremblay has succeeded in producing fine wine across the various expressions of the Apellation.  He adds a hard-working sensibility and unpretentious flair to winemaking, letting the Chardonnay speak for itself in the glass – a tad bit flirty, with crossed legs, of course.