Chablis Louis Michel AOC Vielles Vignes

Chablis without wood, without compromise: Louis Michel & Fils is one of the most consistent addresses in the Chablisien — for decades exclusively steel tanks, no barriques, no makeup.

The winery manages its plots around the town of Chablis with vines that are on average 25 years old here. The location on Kimmeridgian limestone — the typical oyster limestone of the Chablisien — gives the wine its foundation. Fermentation with natural yeasts, spontaneous malolactic fermentation, six months of aging on the fine lees in steel tanks: everything designed to let the origin speak, not the cellar.

In the glass, white peach and ripe apple appear, behind them a clear line of chalk and a hint of dried herbs. The mouth is medium-bodied, the acidity precise without sharpness, the finish long and salty-mineral.

• Food: Oysters, scallops, zander fillet, young goat cheese
• Temperature: 10–12 °C