2021 Domaine Gueguen Chablis Burgundy 750 ml

The story goes back a half century, to one single hectare in the Chablis village of Préhy.

That’s where Jean-Marc Brocard started his namesake domaine. Over the ensuing decades, the winery absolutely flourished, earning a sterling reputation, growing to 120 hectares, and producing dozens of single-vineyard Chablis, including seven Premier Crus and seven Grand Crus.

He was later joined in the cellar by his son Julien and daughter Céline. But when the time came for Brocard to hand over the reins, Céline—a gifted winemaker who had put in 13 years at the winery—was cut out.

Undaunted, she and her husband Frédéric Gueguen launched their own domaine, and they are causing a SERIOUS stir, from Burghound to Guide Hachette. We are thrilled to have secured an allocation of their vibrant, crystalline 2021 Chablis.

Even in years when yields in Chablis are normal, the Gueguens put out a modest 40 hectoliters per hectare (2.7 tons/acre), approximately the same as elite Grand Cru yields in Burgundy, ensuring great concentration and flavor. This is significant because yields among Chablis growers are notoriously high: Even top-tier producers often crop up to 85hl/ha.

We applaud this young power couple’s commitment to sustainable farming and low-intervention winemaking. They plow in between their rows to encourage the vines to extend their roots more deeply, protecting native microbes in the soil. They harvest in multiple passes because pick dates in their fields can be up to three weeks apart, and use only indigenous yeasts for fermentation.

This is Premier Cru concentration at a village price, and we know we'll be reaching for it to pair with a savory plate of breaded sand dabs.