At long last, this and Château de Béru's lovely Clos Béru were the first of my wines from the other side of the pond to be put on offer. And the arrival date was, I think, portentous in the best possible way. June 6, 2010, while not having the same resonance as June 6, 1944, will always mark the day of a French invasion of sorts. (For those left scratching their heads at the date reference, think "Saving Private Ryan.") The ship came into port, unloaded its precious cargo, and I finally exercised the "importer" aspect of my many licenses and permits.

Despite having a very long history with vines, the 2007 Chablis is only the third vintage bearing the family name in many generations. It does, however, show that Athénaïs de Béru has hit her stride as the family winemaker.

Deeply lemony and fresh, the ’07 is the epitome of unoaked Chablis. Pair it with shellfish, ceviches, delicately sauced fish and chicken dishes, as well as cheese.

The 2007 was fermented and aged for nine months on its lees (the important detritus that is the result of the fermentation process) in stainless steel tanks. It's not even packed in wood cases! Bâtonnage (essentially, a gentle stirring in order to mix the juice with the lees) took place at the conclusion of the primary (alcoholic) and malolactic (the process of converting the harsher malic acid into softer lactic acid) fermentations. (Just about all reds go through malo, as it's often called for short, and many, many whites do as well.)

There are two very distinct schools of production in Chablis. One embraces stainless steel tanks, the other embraces oak. Often there is overlap. While time indeed marches on, for me the historically truest style of Chablis is unoaked. Citrus, minerals and chalk are the hallmarks of chardonnay from this place of marginal weather and very complex geology. The more wood, the more the wines tend toward chardonnay's tropical side. Nothing wrong with that; it's a matter of preference, and for my money, I want my Chablis to bite me with its vigorous acidity. Oak tempers that freshness.

15 cases imported for New York

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Penn Wine & Spirits

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