2018 Domaine William Fevre Bougros Côte Bouguerots Grand Cru Chablis 750 ml

The Grand Cru vineyards of Chablis are something to behold: An amphitheater of parcels overlooking the Serein river, they seem to have been designed to perfectly capture the sun’s rays. But even in this golden slope of vines, with its legendary names like Les Clos, Blanchot, and Valmur, some parcels stand out more than the rest—like William Fèvre’s holdings in the Côte Bouguerots.

The Côte Bouguerots isn’t just a Grand Cru, but a privileged tiny parcel within the Bougros Grand Cru. This is the absolute tenderloin of the vineyard, blessed with perfect southern exposition and slopes of limestone-heavy marls that are so steep they can’t be worked safely by tractor. Only three producers bottle wine from the site, but none of the others compare to Fèvre.

In 1959, William Fèvre took over—and renamed—his family’s estate. At the time, Chablis was known for overcropped wines that lacked personality. But through attention to detail and careful expansion into top terroirs, William transformed his eponymous domaine into one of the region’s powerhouses. Today, Fèvre is owned by Domaines Barons de Rothschild—aka Château Lafite Rothschild’s ownership—a testament to the reputation the estate has built.

For the Côte Bouguerots, Fèvre fermented the gently pressed must with native yeasts, in a mixture of barrels and stainless steel tanks carefully chosen to preserve the flinty character of the wine while enhancing the powerful texture for which Grand Crus are known. After five to six months, the wine in oak is moved to stainless steel, where it stays in elevage for another nine or ten months—close to a year and a half in total. The result is a showstopping Chablis Grand Cru.