Loris the Somm

First off, bars.

Day three in Chablis was a banger, did you hear me? While the Burgundy Wine Board was hosting Black Wine Professionals in Chablis, they took every opportunity for us to get to know Chablis. At lunch, we popped a bottle of Crémant and talked to the President of the Chablis Commission at the BIVB and the General Manager of Simonnet-Febvre, Paul Esperitie. We sipped some 13-year-old Grand Cru Chablis with the Yonne République reporter after our interview and capped off our night with a mind-blowing Premier Cru during dinner at Kimm&Ridge in the William Fèvre building. That’s the TL;DR of it, now let’s get into the DETAILS, honey.

After being spoiled by Domaine Raveneau with barrel samples, we had a surprise visit to their Blanchot Grand Cru vineyard before we heading to lunch at Chablis Wine Not.

The bottle of bubs was not champagne, but her little sister, Crémant de Bourgogne, CdB for short. Crémant is french for a sparkling wine made in the traditional (champagne) method and uses, you guessed it, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as the main grapes. CdB is DELICIOUS, super affordable, and tastes just like Champagne. Back in the day CdB in Chablis used to be called Sparkling Chablis, but you know French people like to streamline things, and the AOC board changed ‘Sparkling Chablis’ to ‘Crémant de Bourgogne.’ With the charcuterie and the gougeres, the Cremant was the perfect palate cleanser and heat reprieve in a glass.

The next bottle to hit the table was delicious, and truly a conversation starter; The 2018 Savigny-les-Beaune, Aux Grands Liards from Simon Bize et Fils.

Simon Bize et Fils is currently under the helm of Chisa Bize, wife of the late Patrick Bize who’s family had been resident winemakers in the region for generations. The Bize et Fils domaine is one known to be the perfect expression of Savigny-les-Beaune and since the untimely passing of her husband, Chisa has picked up the mantle effortlessly.

Chisa believes in the true spirit of the farm, so the plots are biodynamically farmed, wines unfined and unfiltered. These vines have an average age of 67 years, planted between 1939 and 1979 providing the wine with a body and complexity that is undisturbed by overoaking only seeing a maximum of 20% new oak. is only racked once to keep the wine fresh with minerality and spirit.

Aux Grands Liards is one of the best village lieu-dit, or a specific area in the vineyard due to history or soil. Positioned under one of the best 1er crus sites after Vergelesses, Les Lavierés, this village wine is the underdog you bet on that always turns a coin. Drink it as a splurge or buy it as a smart cellar wine for a few years from now.

We headed off to see Oliver at La Chablisenne, and then it was time for our interview with the Yonne Republique at BIVB HQ. We were happy to shed light on our mission to share the love of crisp, mineral forward wines with America and as a treat, the BIVB opened up two bottles of 13 year old Chablis. From the unclassified 8th grand cru, La Moutonne Monopole from Albert Bichot’s holdings and the Regenard Grenouilles Grand Cru *bottle shot at end of piece*

After a quick nap, we headed back to Fevre’s this time for his neighbor, Kimm&Ridge. The traditional restaurant is located inside a 13th century crypt and has this cute alfresco dining room; the whole thing feels like the heart of Chablis. We chose the Kimmeridgian Menu with just a main and dessert, still full from all that lunch! The wine menu here is a much smaller than earlier, and though we were looking for female winemakers, I couldn’t help but spot a value buy on the list, that had a good age, an organic (and in this case biodynamic) producer, and one who simply wanted to tell the story of their terroir.

We both wanted the special burger that was on the menu, and this 2017 Monthélie 1er cru Le Clous from Domaine Changarnier was well under our wine budget for the trip AND as a poor man’s Volnay, would be the soft touch of pinot we were both looking for. The power of the divine feminine is how wine drinkers might explain Volnay, and Monthélie is not too far behind. The wine is smoky and sexy full of these lithe, rail thin modelesque tannins that are piercingly beautiful. This property once belonged to the hallowed abbey of Cluny and thus all the sexual tension in a wine. The spices paired perfectly with my tiramisu, and the juicy black currants had themselves a good old time with Julia’s scrumptious little apricot cake. Not bad for the prodigal son returning home to fulfill his father’s dream and running the family estate after retiring from Microsoft…

We had one more day in Chablis, and I knew it would be the most magical end to our trip. We promenaded through the pillars of Chablis, yes actual pillars were a gate once was, back to our hotel full and elated to be able to experience this moment. Our guide Isabelle had found an old cabotes, or a little vineyard shelter, for me to see and I was too excited. Back at the hotel, I opened my windows, looking out at the William Fevre property across from me and smiled and the moon bounced of rooftops and settled onto Grand Cru Hill.

This was Pure Chablis.