I think it was Samuel Billaud who put me on to Cyril Gautheron, saying that if you like a chiselled mineral style of Chablis, then Cyril is the man to go to. I did, and I found a great deal to like.

—Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
 
 
Samuel Billaud is just about Chablis' hottest star at the moment, so it's no wonder that iconic Burgundy guru Jasper Morris took his advice and went straight to Cyril. If anything, the surprise is that someone as knowledgeable as Jasper Morris wasn’t already all over this exciting young talent.
 
But Burgundy is like that. Even for the acknowledged masters, there’s always something new to discover, always an old lesson to be revisited, re-examined, re-learned. And that’s what we have for you today: an incredible reminder of both the range and the thrill of traditional Chablis.
 
Glance at Gautheron’s label and you’d guess this is a classic l producer. And, well, sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. Gautheron is, as Burghound says, an “old school domaine” with a “decidedly traditional style.” But traditional doesn’t mean staid: Gautheron is an exciting producer to get to know. Partly, that’s down to Cyril, (son of Alain) bringing new energy and focus to the old-school approach: yields are low, farming is more focussed than ever, and the wines have both intense expressiveness and clear identity.

But more than that, it’s the thrill of honest Chablis itself: Racy Kimmeridgian minerality, cooling northern acidity, and beautiful fruit in terroir-specific variations. And today we have two expressions to share. First, a fresh 2023 village Chablis that hits all the classic notes. We also have a 2021 Premier Cru Les Fourneaux, which deftly shows the difference between a village wine and a Premier Cru: it has all the same minerality and freshness (it’s made in tank, no oak), but the complexity is more flamboyant, the fruit has more depth, and the finish has… well, more.

We bought Gautheron's New York importer's entire stock, so once we're sold out, the wine is gone until the next vintage. 

Gautheron, Chablis, 2023 $34.99
Morris raved about the wine (giving it **** — high praise for a “basic” wine): “A blend of his two sectors, south of Fleys, and towards Rameau. Very classical Chablis nose, not too sunny at all. Still a generous fruit on the palate, ripe apples with a lemon rinse, then good acidity and considerable length.”

Gautheron, Chablis 1er Cru Les Fourneaux, 2021 $42.99
“Les Fourneaux” is French for furnace, a nod at the relative warmth of the site. It’s that warmth that brings the wine its unique balance between Chablis minerality and acidity, and the site-specific warmth of stone fruit and even spice.