Chablis

Chablis is a commune in the French department Yonne ( Burgundy region) in the near Auxerre and Pontigny. The municipality has 2302 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011), has an area of 38.83 km ² and is situated at an altitude of 140 meters above the sea. Chablis is located on the banks of the river Serein.

Viticulture in Chablis

See also the main article Chablis ( wine region ).

The Chablis is the northernmost wine region in Burgundy. On the limestone slopes exclusively Chardonnay is grown. The vineyards spread over Chablis and 19 adjacent municipalities. We have planted 6834 hectares of the country's well- approved 4500 hectares. The wine produced is marketed under the name Chablis. It is fruity, dry and a refreshing acidity. Chablis usually has a green-gold color. In 2002, the production volume totaled 264.175 hectoliters.

Despite the name, the well-known wine-growing region had almost disappeared after 1961; 1957 and 1961, much of the vines were destroyed by late frosts. Most of the destroyed stocks were not renewed because the spring frost hazard in Chablis is always acute. In addition, the amount of work in the vineyard because of the steep slopes was very intense. It was the development of new systems to protect the vines from late frost and the increasing mechanization led to a rethinking of the winemakers and thus new plantings.

There are four different quality levels, each of which different appellations are assigned ( AOCs ). The steps were made due to the different quality of the soil and the microclimate:

• The lowest quality is the Appellation Petit Chablis. These wines have a more pronounced acid than the other appellations and are less storable. 2002 hlerzeugt to 36 194 623,56 ha.
• The mean quality level, the AOC Chablis, has 178 483 hectoliters to 3,014 ha by far the largest share of the total production.
• The following are the Chablis Premier Cru. A total of 79 plots of land with 766 hectares are combined ( documents) in 17 Climats. The wines are more aromatic than the simple Chablis; the yield is limited to max. 50 hl / ha limited. 2002 44.164 hectoliters were produced. The best known documents called Fourchaume, Montée de Tonnerre, Mont de Milieu, Forêt, Butteaux, Cote de Lechet and Vaillons. Premiers Crus build in the basement of approximately five years.
• The highest category is Chablis Grands Crus. The names of the seven Grand Cru sites are Blanchot ( 13.14 ha), Les Clos ( 26.96 ha), Valmur ( 12.89 ha), Grenouille ( 9.38 ha), Vaudésir ( 16,83 ), Les Preuses (11.81 ha) and Bougros ( 15.86 ha). The eighth - unofficial -, Grand Cru La Moutonne (2.35 ha) located virtually within Vaudésir and is a monopole of Domaine Long - Depaquit. The GC wines have a higher alcohol content than the Premiers Crus. The Grand Cru wines should be stored 8-15 years, enabling them to realize their full quality. The harvest was 5,184 hectoliters together in 2002.

Although the wines of Chablis are all pressed from Chardonnay, they are still very variable, because the winemakers use very different methods to the development of the wines. Most ferment the grape juice in stainless steel tanks, others prefer new or already used oak barrels.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Marie -Louise Butzig ( b. 1944 ), football player