Named vineyard
Chablis Grand Cru
Identity card
Grand cruAOPWhite
Burgundy › Chablis and the Grand Auxerrois · Recognised on 13 January 1938
- Grand cru
- Premier cru
- Village
- Regional
Key points
- Dry white from Chardonnay, in the commune of Chablis only.
- 104 ha (2010), on a single slope near the town.
- At most 54 hl/ha and at least 11% natural alcohol.
Grape varieties
White wine onlyChardonnay
Made from Chardonnay alone
Production rules
54
hl/ha
Maximum yield
11
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
5,500
vines/ha
Minimum planting density
Minimum ageing: At least until 15 March after the harvest
- Maximum yield
- How much wine a hectare may produce under the appellation (a higher, exceptional ceiling often exists). The lower it is, the less can be made: one of the levers on how concentrated the grapes are. For reference: 35 hl/ha to 80 hl/ha across 97 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum natural alcohol
- The alcohol the grapes' own sugar must be able to give, without enrichment: a ripeness threshold at harvest. For reference: 9 % ABV to 14 % ABV across 47 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum planting density
- The fewest vines allowed per hectare. For the same yield, more vines means fewer grapes on each. For reference: 4,000 vines/ha to 9,000 vines/ha across 106 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum ageing
- A minimum ageing period the specification requires before the wine may be sold to consumers.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: One slope on the right bank of the Serein, 135 to 215 m
- Aspect: Small slopes facing south-east to west
- Soils: Marls full of small fossil oysters, under limestone scree
Wine style
- dry white
- lively and fruity
- marked minerality
- fleshy
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
24 October 2024
Arrêté du 24 octobre 2024 homologuant le cahier des charges de l'AOC « Chablis grand cru » (JORF du 9 novembre 2024 ; publié au BO-AGRI le 13 février 2025). Appellation initialement reconnue par le décret du 13 janvier 1938.
Labelling terms
- The name may be followed by one of 7 climats (Les Clos, Valmur…)
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceArrêté du 24 octobre 2024 homologuant le cahier des charges de l'AOC « Chablis grand cru »— Ministère de l'agriculture et de la souveraineté alimentaire — Bulletin officiel (BO-AGRI)
- Reference bookThe Oxford Companion to Wine— Oxford University Press
- Trade bodyFiches d'appellation des vins de Bourgogne (surfaces et récoltes)— Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne (BIVB)
One single appellation, not seven: the specification builds "Chablis grand cru" on seven named climats — Blanchot, Bougros, Grenouilles, Les Clos, Preuses, Valmur, Vaudésir — which the appellation's name may carry as a complement, on the commune of Chablis alone. Jullien already ranked them "first class" in his 1816 Topographie de tous les vignobles connus. Chardonnay B only, known locally as "beaunois".
Mini-challenge
Chablis Grand Cru
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