What is Chablis? It is chardonnay from a small town in the far north of Burgundy, and it does not taste like the rich, buttery chardonnay many of us grew up with. Chablis wine is usually crisp, dry and mineral, with lemon, stone fruit and a saline edge.
We are The French Carousel, an Australian shop for French wine. Here is a simple guide to Chablis wine, how it differs from other chardonnay, and what to eat with it on a hot day.
What is Chablis wine
Chablis sits in the Yonne, near Auxerre, well apart from the Côte d'Or. Its cool climate and limestone soils give fresh acidity and a lighter body. All Chablis is chardonnay. The label names the place, not the grape. When someone asks what is Chablis, the short answer is cool climate Burgundy chardonnay with a mineral finish, usually without heavy oak.
Chablis vs other chardonnay
Two things set it apart. Most Chablis grows on Kimmeridgian marl and limestone full of tiny fossil oyster shells, which is why people call the wines chalky or saline. Many producers ferment in stainless steel rather than new oak, so you taste fruit and minerality without vanilla or toast. That is why Chablis sits so well next to shellfish when a richer, oaked chardonnay would fight the plate.
Clotilde Davenne Chablis 2024 shows that style. Vines planted in 1983 at Vaudelune in Courgis, on Kimmeridgian limestone; wild yeast ferment; time in stainless steel, never barrel. Expect peach, lemon and oyster shell, with a crisp flinty finish. The shop page serving guide is 8 to 10°C. The shop page pairs it with freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters, sushi, grilled fish or a goat cheese tart.
Quality levels in plain words
Petit Chablis is the lightest and freshest. Chablis is the classic village style you see most often. Chablis Premier Cru comes from named vineyards with more depth. Chablis Grand Cru is seven named sites on one sunny slope by the Serein. Start with village Chablis for weeknight seafood, then step up when you want more texture.
Food matches for a hot day
Oysters are the classic match. In an Australian summer, pour Chablis with a seafood platter, sushi, grilled fish off the barbie, or cold prawns from the esky. Sydney rock oysters, Moreton Bay bugs and a simple grilled snapper all sit well with that lemon and saline finish. A goat cheese tart on a warm evening works too. More platter ideas in wine with Christmas seafood. If dinner is a creamy bake, our potato gratin loves a crisp white beside it. Keep the bottle cold while the barbie or the oyster knife does the work.
Serve at 8 to 10°C in a white wine glass with enough bowl for the aromas. A couple of hours in the fridge, or a spell in the esky at the beach, is enough. Too icy and you lose the peach and oyster shell. Browse Burgundy wine and French white wine. For Loire sauvignon instead, see Sancerre explained.
Please enjoy responsibly.
