Wine Talk: The mystery of Chablis

(MetroWestDailyNews) - The mystery of Chablis is hardly a case for Sherlock Holmes, despite the fact that this famous wine from the Burgundy region tastes like no other white wine in the world, including its kissing cousins from the nearby Cote de Beaune.

    The village of Chablis, from whence the wine takes its name, is the northernmost wine-growing region in Burgundy. The only French wine-growing regions to the north of Chablis are Champagne and Alsace. This is an important aspect of the taste profile found in Chablis, though hardly the only factor, and perhaps not the most important.

    The soils of Chablis, at least where the most highly rated vineyards are planted, are a chalky combination of mostly clay and limestone, similar to the soils found in Sancerre, another famous wine region located in the Loire Valley, and Champagne.

    The flinty taste of Chablis is no doubt produced by the combination of cool climate and soils that profoundly shape the character and personality of the wine we call Chablis, which is 100 percent Chardonnay but bears only a passing resemblance to the wines of Puligny, Chassagne and Meursault in the Cote de Beaune, where it is warmer and the wines possess a richness seldom achieved in Chablis.

    In some circles that might imply lesser quality, and indeed the premier cru and grand cru wines of the Cote de Beaune command a higher price, but that is merely an example of consumer preference. Puligny, Chassagne and Meursault surely have more cachet in the market, but they are not necessarily better wines.

    An argument can be made that Chablis loyalists prefer the more austere character of Chablis, particularly when paired with shellfish, such as the freshly shucked oysters that were showcased at the Chablis tasting that kicked off Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne this week in Burgundy. Les Grands Jours is a tasting tour of the region, with stops each day in a different part of Burgundy to sample wines from the two most recent vintages.