Description

Importer notes: Brothers Xavier and Jérôme Garnier share a passion for wine and the Chablis region, where their family has owned a 57-acre estate for many decades. While their father sold grapes to negoçiants, the brothers began making their own wine in 1996, selling it to restaurants in and around Paris. Garnier & Fils uses traditional, environmentally friendly, organic practices; they harvest later than most, ferment with natural yeast and age the wines in very large barrels or stainless steel. Improving every year, this exciting estate is already achieving greatness with its Chablis, which offers a delicate salinity that reflects the vineyard's unique soil profile. Their wines include a Chablis Village, which is a lovely entry-level bottle, as well as 1er Cru and Grand Cru. Jérôme works the vineyards, and Xavier makes the wines. Together, they are leading a group of newer producers finding their voice in the northernmost part of Chablis. They recognize it takes much more work to produce high-quality wines in such a cool region. They are also proving the extra effort is well worth it, creating beautifully balanced wines, with amazing ripeness, freshness and minerality, boasting a lush mouth feel and texture, as well as a bright, textured acidity.

Production notes: 100% Chardonnay from a three-hectare site in Lignorelles. Mechanical harvest. Native yeast fermentation of four months. 100% malolactic fermentation. Aged six months in stainless steel on the lees. Bottled filtered (no fining or cold-stabilization). Bottled under corks called 'ND' that are machine-tested to guarantee no TCA.

Tasting notes: Plenty of yellow apple, lemon curd and mild salinity give a fresh but full mouthfeel.