2020 Lamblin et Fils Cepage Chardonnay Bourgogne 750 ml

Burgundy’s Yonne Valley, home of the racy and mineral-driven 2020 Lamblin et Fils Cépage Chardonnay Bourgogne, might not be a household name, but one glance at a map shows it surrounds the holy grail of Burgundy’s liveliest whites: Chablis. 

When you taste it, you could easily think that Didier Lamblin’s vibrant Chardonnay is Chablis, and our members have noticed. Lamblin has become one of our top French white wines, earning a parade of four- and five-star reviews. One member raved, “This is a VERY generous wine, but still with good acidity, and at a GREAT price point. Hence, the five star rating.”

For 300 years and 12 generations, Didier Lamblin’s family has dedicated itself to winegrowing in Chablis and its surrounding areas. Based in the little hamlet of Maligny (population 800), Lamblin’s holdings include parcels in the famed Grands Crus of Les Clos and Vaudésir, as well as numerous Premier Cru and village-level sites. Their extraordinary lineup rivals the best in Burgundy, yet it was this humble gem that hooked us years ago at San Francisco’s Absinthe Brasserie & Bar. 

Back then, we routinely bypassed Absinthe’s incredible cocktails to order a bottle of this remarkably priced white to accompany the Belgian mussels with leeks—the wine’s characteristic freshness and minerality absolutely electrified the dish. Naturally, we tried to line up an allocation for Wine Access members, but with tons of West Coast restaurants clamoring for a share, we never could manage it….until we got lucky.

Fermented and aged in stainless steel to preserve the vivacious aromas of florals, citrus fruit, and notes of acacia and spice, the 2020 bears the unmistakable signature of Chablis—just without the label.