Domaine de Chantemerle, Chablis Premier Cru, 'Fourchaume'

Great wines don’t chase attention; they earn it over time. Domaine Chantemerle’s 2023 Chablis Premier Cru Fourchaume is exactly that kind of wine. As global demand for Chablis has surged, and severe climatic challenges, most recently the devastating 2024 frosts that wiped out 70% or more of the crop in many sites, have further constricted supply,it’s something of a minor miracle that this wine has avoided the runaway price inflation seen elsewhere. Frankly, it could easily cost $20 more and still be worth it. Poured blind next to a Grand Cru, you wouldn’t feel shortchanged, this has the weight, concentration, and length of many Grand Crus I’ve tasted in recent years. It’s real Burgundian Chardonnay, stripped of artifice: precise, mineral, and uncompromisingly pure. Delivering the depth and energy you expect from top-tier Chablis without the inflated price tag, it stands as a clear benchmark for what this cool, northern edge of Burgundy does best. If Chablis, or great Chardonnay more broadly, is your thing, this is an easy yes and a clear overperformer.

To understand why, you have to understand Chablis itself. This is Burgundy at its most elemental,Chardonnay grown in a cool, marginal climate, rooted in limestone born of a prehistoric sea, where more than 150 million years of decomposing shells and marine sediment formed the fossil-rich Kimmeridgian soils that define the region. Those soils give Chablis its unmistakable signature: citrus, salinity, crushed stone, and tension.

Chablis is rigorously classified, progressing from Petit Chablis to village Chablis, then Premier Cru, and finally the seven famed Grand Crus clustered along the river. Over generations, growers identified the sites capable of producing the greatest wines,typically warmer, well-exposed slopes rooted in pure limestone soils, where ripeness, tension, and mineral expression come into perfect balance.

Among the Premier Crus, Fourchaume holds a special position, both geographically and historically. Located on the right bank of the Serein River, Fourchaume sits just above the Grand Cru hillside, literally less than a minute from the famed Grand Cru parcels below. Crucially, it shares the same south and southwest-facing exposures as the Grand Crus, capturing the same sunlight and warmth, along with the same Kimmeridgian limestone bedrock and excellent natural drainage. The name Fourchaume is thought to derive from fourches chaumes, a reference to forked or terraced slopes long cleared for cultivation, an etymology that hints at the site’s long agricultural history. In strong vintages like 2023, Fourchaume regularly delivers wines that rival Grand Crus outright, combining serious concentration and aging potential with the cut and precision that define great Chablis.

Domaine Chantemerle stands among the truly traditional estates of Chablis, a name that itself speaks to place. Chantemerle roughly translates to “the song of the blackbird,” a reference to the rural soundscape of old Chablis and a reminder that this domaine's identity has always been rooted in the land rather than the marketplace. Guided by the Boudin family for generations, the estate quietly worked some of the region’s best sites long before Chablis became a global luxury category. Throughout its history, Chantemerle has resisted fashion and intervention, remaining firmly committed to a classical, hands-off philosophy in both vineyard and cellar.

The vines are meticulously farmed, yields are kept naturally low, and all fruit is harvested by hand. In the cellar, fermentations proceed with native yeasts, and élevage takes place exclusively in stainless steel and cement,no oak, ever. This isn’t nostalgia for its own sake, but a
deeply held belief that Chablis should speak clearly of stone, climate, and vineyard, not barrels. What Chantemerle delivers, year after year, is Chablis in its most honest form: unadorned, transparent, and unmistakably of place.

In the glass, the 2023 Fourchaume is richly textured yet focused, energetic, and powerful. Aromas of lemon peel, yellow apple, white peach, white flowers, honeysuckle, and crushed oyster shell rise from the glass, layered over a cool, wet-stone minerality. On the palate, it’s creamy and round and deeply concentrated, framed by electric acidity and layers of citrus and stone fruit, finishing long, saline, and chalky. This is Chablis made for the table. Pair it with Coq-au-Vin-blanc (Chicken with cream and white wine, see recipe link on page), or seared scallops; grilled fish with lemon and olive oil; sole meunière; crab or lobster; or simply a wedge of great triple-crème cheese and crusty bread. Ideally, decant for 30–45 minutes, then serve cool,but not icy,in proper Burgundy stems, around 50–55°F, just under cellar temperature. Treated this way, it reminds you why truly great Chablis, when done right, remains one of the world’s most compelling white wines.