2020 Francine & Olivier Savary 'Vieilles Vignes' Chablis

Notes: Here is a quick hint on technique: plunge your corkscrew directly through the wax. Lift cork slightly to break wax seal. Gently brush or blow broken bits to counter/table. Remove cork. Pour. There is no need to pull out a pickax. Savary’s VV bottling is the ultimate introduction to this magical combination: Chardonnay grown in Kimmeridgian limestone and a properly dosed élevage in wood. The electricity and minerality imparted by the soil are balanced by a buttery creaminess that is heavenly.

—Dixon Brooke

The Savarys have earned the recognition for their hard work, and are highly regarded in the appellation. The clay-limestone hillsides of the Kimmeridgian chain are excellent for growing dazzling, complex Chardonnay. However ideal the soil, Olivier brings his own brilliance to the table. The grapes from his vineyards throughout the Chablis appellation are blended into one fabulously complex village wine cuvée. He also bottles an extraordinary premier cru from Fourchaume, as well as a separate cuvée of old-vine fruit in heavy, wax-sealed bottles after élévage in demi-muid. These exquisite wines are quintessential Chablis, with unmistakable aromas of ancient crushed shells and a pronounced, racy mineral structure.