Gerard Tremblay, Chablis Premier Cru, Cote de Lechet 2022 - 75cl
Cote de Lechet sits on the left bank of the Serein, the cooler, leaner side of Chablis, and its wines carry a sharper edge than the rounder premiers crus across the river. That suits Domaine Gerard Tremblay, a family estate now into its fifth generation, run by Vincent and Eleonore from land their grandparents worked before them.
The estate keeps things pure. No oak barrels here, only temperature-controlled steel, so nothing gets between you and the vineyard. The soil does the talking, that famous Kimmeridgian clay studded with ancient oyster fossils, all pebbles and chalk, draining fast and giving Chablis its cut-glass tension. This is Chardonnay stripped back to its skeleton, and the better for it.
Pale gold with a green flash at the rim. The nose leads with lemon and green apple, white flowers, then that flinty, wet-stone note that tells you exactly where you are before you have read the label. On the palate it is taut and precise, citrus and orchard fruit riding a line of racy acidity, chalk running right through the middle. The finish is dry, saline, mineral, and it lingers longer than the price would suggest. Give it two or three years and the fruit softens toward almond and toast.
This is your aperitif in a glass, or the bottle you reach for the moment a plate of shellfish lands on the table.
How to Serve
Serve well chilled, around 9 to 11C. A standard white-wine glass is fine, though a slightly broader bowl flatters the mineral length. No need to decant, but a young bottle rewards ten minutes out of the fridge to loosen up.
Where to Drink It
J Sheekey off St Martin's Lane, where Chablis and a plate of native oysters is close to a house rule. Scott's in Mayfair for the full seafood-counter treatment. Bentley's for the same, done with a bit more swagger.
Food Pairings
Oysters, obviously, ideally something briny from the Atlantic. Failing that, a whole grilled Dover sole with nothing more than lemon and brown butter.
