While our Dezat Pouilly-Fumé shows the magic of blending Sauvignon Blanc from different soils, Chablis takes the opposite approach: a laser-focus on how a single geological foundation, Kimmeridgian limestone, transforms Burgundy's great grape. Of course, when you get right down to what’s in the bottle, Brocard’s Chablis are every bit as perfect for a summertime crush, fresh with citrus fruit and crisp with mineral snap.
 
We love, love, love Chablis not just because it's refreshing: it’s all about transmitting profound terroir, terroir that Jean-Marc Brocard has spent decades mastering. Today, his son Julien runs the show, and has kept pushing even harder in the same direction. Brocard père was one of the first Chablis growers to farm organically, and Brocard fils has made them perhaps Chablis greatest proponent of biodynamics.
 
The family’s fanatical focus on the subtle variations between different vineyards’ expression couldn’t be clearer than in the two wines we chose to share with you today. The “Vieilles Vignes de Sainte Claire” comes from 70-year-old vines on classic Kimmeridgian soils: this is pure, mineral-driven Chardonnay with both ripe citrus fruit and the classic Chablis crackle of acidity and stone.
 
Montée de Tonnerre is a true step up to proper 1er Cru Burgundy. It’s one of our favorite vineyards and home to some legendary wines (Raveneau comes to mind). Montée de Tonnerre is a perfectly exposed site that lies just at the end of the famous slope of Grand Crus. It has stunningly stony soils, littered with ancient maritime fossils. Brocard’s ‘22 captures the alluring power and complexity of the site, balanced by crisp acidity and picture-perfect mineral precision. Both wines showcase Brocard's skill at capturing clear site-specific expression without any oak interference.

If these sound like wines that you want to drink right now, in the dead of summer, you’re right. And if they sound like wines that you want to hold on to until the holidays, to pair gloriously with a table full of varied foods and rooms full of different people, well, you’re right again. And if you think these are wines you ought to cellar for the medium term, on the theory they’ll develop more complexity, integrate and deepen, yes, once again — you’re right.

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Vieilles Vignes De Sainte Claire, 2023 $31.99
From 40+ year old vines, this classic village Chablis shows pure Chardonnay fruit wrapped in that signature Kimmeridgian minerality. Bright citrus and green apple notes with a chalky, oyster-shell finish that's refreshing now but will develop beautifully over 3-5 years.

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis 1er Cru Montée De Tonnerre, 2022 $54.99 
From one of Chablis' most prestigious Premier Cru sites, this wine adds layers of complexity and power while maintaining classic Chablis precision. Richer texture and longer finish, with stone fruit and mineral notes that will continue evolving for years to come.