FROM THE IMPORTER
TERROIR
The vineyard is located on a plateau on the right bank of the Serein river, east of the village of Chichée within the original historic AOC Chablis boundaries. The vines on the plateau take the influence of the wind of the year, and the soil is composed of 100% Kimmeridgian limestone and clay, whose origin dates back to the 200-million-year-old Jurassic period.
FARMING
Patrick only sources wine from the original 12th century Chablis boundaries, which means that all his cuvees hail from the celebrated Kimmeridgian limestone—a unique terroir rich in fossils, prized for creating stony, complex Chardonnays. Each grower has their own method of
sustainable farming; neither synthetic herbicides nor fertilizers are used, and regular plowing controls weeds. The common thread is a fundamental respect for the soil, which is essential for Patrick, a longtime student of Chablis’ terroirs. In a land of predominantly mechanized harvests, Patrick and his team set themselves apart in the appellation by harvesting entirely by hand. They tend to pick earlier than most growers in order to impart a nervy and acidic backbone to the finished wine.
GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Chardonnay
VINE AGE: 40 years
AVERAGE YIELD: 60 hectoliters per hectare
WINEMAKING
Patrick favors long fermentations with native yeasts and ages all of his wines on their lees. Allowing nature to take its time and
letting the temperatures rise and fall of their own accord allows the skins to soften and gracefully impart their aromatics and flavors into the finished wine. The grapes are pressed gently by mechanical press. Primary fermentation for the Chablis "Terroir de Chichée" takes place in stainless steel tanks and can last up to five months. The wine then goes through 100% malolactic fermentation and ages on the lees for four months in stainless steel tanks before a light bentonite fining, a light filtration with diatomaceous earth, and bottling.
TASTING NOTES
There’s wonderful tension here, where aromas of citrus, sea breeze and green apple offset an opulent mid-weight palate. The generous aromatics and mouth-feel culminate into a long finish filled with notes of crushed oyster shells and more hints of citrus.
ANNUAL PRODUCTION: ~13,000
bottles or 1,083 cases
ABOUT PATRICK PIUZE
In only a short time, Patrick Piuze has gone from managing a wine bar in his native Québec to becoming one of Chablis’ most prominent rising stars. In 2008, after working for Olivier Leflaive, Verget and Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard, Patrick started his own micro-négoce. Sourcing 20 hectares of old-vine fruit from respected growers throughout Chablis, he crafts over 20 cuvees, including grand cru, premier cru, single-village wines, a Petit Chablis sourced from a maximum of two parcels adjacent to grand cru vineyards, an Aligoté from Saint Bris, and a méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine from the Tonnerrois. He is one of the rare producers to identify the nuances from village to village within the general AOC Chablis and even distinguishes between microclimates in his two cuvees of grand cru Bougros.
Patrick’s belief in long, natural fermentations allows him to create powerful yet graceful wines that, even in less ripe vintages, show a soft, penetrating texture. Lively, nervy, and pure, they also exhibit soft creamy textures, layered complexity, and the contagious vitality of its maker.
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