2018 Domaine Raoul Gautherin & Fils Vieilles Vignes Chablis 750 ml

The Raoul Gautherin & Fils Vieilles Vignes Chablis is a spellbinding, extraordinarily refined expression of Old World Chardonnay that we are thrilled to share on US shores for the very first time.

This brand-new French import is one of the most memorable and delicious Chablis we’ve tasted in years, and a Burgundy bargain with few rivals.

Asserting its place in the upper echelon of the appellation, this wine has everything you’d expect from the most preeminent Grand Cru Chablis, the $150 giants of Vaudésir and Bougros: brisk freshness, racy purity, penetrating minerality. 

Drawn from low-vigor roots plunged deep into mineral-rich Kimmeridgian soils, this Chardonnay shows a sleek roundness and Meursault-like weight, while still feeling lean and agile on the palate. 

You’re essentially paying a dollar for every year of meticulous care Raoul Gautherin’s father-and-son team have lavished upon these gnarled, gray-barked Chardonnay vines. All the grapes that go into this bottling come from vines older than 35 years, planted on an eighth-generation estate that has been producing wine since 1585. That age factor gives this wine its honeysuckle lusciousness—and for us, it gave this Chablis rare “acquire at all costs” status.

An importer had sent the Chablis along as a bonus bottle to try—an old-vine elixir to enjoy on a special night, not even for sale. Production was minuscule, hardly ever leaving the country. What these vineyards offer in concentrated purity and intensity, they seriously lack in supply.

We weren’t really thinking past dinner when we pulled the chilled bottle out of the fridge. But once we poured it alongside a plate of line-caught yellowtail and lobster, this Vieilles Vignes Chablis went from a Friday night indulgence to the top of our “Most Wanted” list of Burgundies. 

“We taste a lot of amazing wines,” said one member of the Wine Team, when we brought this bottle in for judging. “But this is just on a whole new level.”

Even now, months after the initial discovery and despite patience-trying paperwork and port delays, we’re still talking about this wine. It’s that special.

When you finally get back to your favorite seafood restaurant, bring a bottle of the Raoul Gautherin & Fils Vieilles Vignes as a treat. Old-vine Chablis like this deserves to be celebrated and savored slowly, teasing out the citrus blossom and lemon rind notes with every sip. 

Hop on it now, because within a day or two, it’ll be sold out. You really don’t want to miss out on being among the few American drinkers who get to try it for the very first time.