Domaine William Fèvre - Chablis 'Montée de Tonnerre' 1er Cru 2020

ID:
• Origin: Chablis, Burgundy, France
• Appellation: Chablis 1er Cru AOC.
• Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay.
• Alcohol percentage: 12.5%.
• Style: Crisp and mineral with a satin-like texture, high precision, and great depth.
• Aging potential: 2025 to 2045.
• Rating: 94/100 Wine Advocate – 92-94/100 Vinous.

Domaine William Fèvre's Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2020 is a Premier Cru often referred to as "Grand Cru-worthy": intense and structured, with a distinct chalk tension and a cool, mineral focus.

Aromatically, it opens with crisp orchard fruit, white flowers, and candied citrus, complemented by oat-like, subtly yeasty notes and wet stone. The palate is medium to full-bodied, satiny, and harmonious, with a deep core of citrus and white fruit, vibrant acidity, and a long, taut finish that will become even more complex with bottle aging.

Excellent with grilled fish, scallops, crab, or langoustine, but also with poultry in a delicate cream sauce or a creamy risotto with lemon and herbs.

Winemaking

Manual harvest. In the cellar, gravity is used to avoid over-pumping. After a short pneumatic pressing (about 1.5 to 2 hours), a light static settling with retention of fine lees follows, allowing alcoholic and malolactic fermentation to occur naturally. Approximately 40 to 50% of the cuvée ferments and ages in French oak barrels (averaging around 6 years old), the remaining part in small stainless steel tanks. Aging lasts 13 to 14 months, of which 5 to 6 months on fine lees in oak for the relevant portion; thereafter, the maturation is completed in small stainless steel tanks. After bottling, further bottle aging takes place at the domain before release.

The domain

Domaine William Fèvre is one of the reference points of Chablis. The domain was founded in 1959 by William Fèvre and grew into one of the leading owners of top terroirs in the region, with an exceptional share of Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards. In later decades, the domain was incorporated into the group around Bouchard Père & Fils, with the focus on precision in the vineyard and finesse in the cellar always remaining central.

The style is classic Chablis: clear, pure, and terroir-driven, with a controlled use of wood and a consistent emphasis on tension and saline minerality. Sustainability plays an increasingly important role: the domain has been working with significantly reduced inputs for years and officially started the conversion to organic certification in 2020. In the cellar, care is taken to work gently (gravity, limited mechanical intervention) to maximize the natural expression of the fruit and the origin.