Domaine Gérard Tremblay, Chablis Premier Cru (Burgundy, France) Fourchaume 2021 ($40, Jeanne-Marie de Champs Selection)

The Tremblay family has always been a leader in Chablis. They were among the first to build a gravity-flow winery, which eliminates the need for pumps in Chablis shortly after WWII. (Pumping can harm the grapes and juice intended for more delicate wines such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.) At that time, most growers were selling their grapes, whereas Tremblay started bottling their own production. Growers in Burgundy dislike the 2021 vintage because the crop was small due to a severe frost, a cool growing season, and then hail. I refer to the vintage as a pre-climate change year because the wines in general are vibrant and not overwrought. Tremblay’s stunning 2021 Fourchaume has wonderful, but not overbearing, richness, certainly helped by the low yield, while maintaining the alluring minerality and flintiness of Chablis. Great enlivening acidity in the finish amplifies its charm.
94 Michael Apstein