Domaine De L’Enclos Chablis 1er Cru Vau De Vey 2023

Founded by siblings Romain and Damien Bouchard, Domaine de l’Enclos represents a new generation of Chablis winemakers committed to demanding organic viticulture. The family has been working in Chablis for generations. In 2015, they sold their father’s négociant business but retained the 39 hectares of vineyard previously owned by their mother’s family. In addition, they acquired a house in the heart of the town called “L’Enclos,” originally a building used by the monks of Pontigny to house their vineyard workers — a name the domaine now carries as its own.

The domaine obtained organic certification, and their underground vinification cellar — five metres below ground — provides natural temperature regulation and is comprised primarily of small stainless-steel tanks, ensuring that the various parcels can be vinified separately. Unusually for Chablis, the brothers don’t chaptalise, working instead with naturally low yields to ensure full ripeness in the grapes.

The estate’s style aims for precise, saline, and luminous Chardonnays, true to the limestone energy of the Serein valley.

The vineyard
Vau de Vey 1er Cru is located on the left bank of the Serein, to the west of Chablis, on one of the coolest and steepest premier cru slopes in the appellation. The family’s plot — 2.77 hectares — was planted in 1979, taken over by them in 2006, and farmed organically since 2010. Its east-facing exposure to the morning sun, combined with calcareous clay soils over limestone, means the grapes here need a little extra time to reach full ripeness, which translates into an especially fresh, elegant, and aromatic expression relative to other premier cru sites.

Vinification
Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, followed by around 13 months of ageing on fine lees, split between stainless steel and used tonneaux (older, larger-format oak), with minimal sulphur added.

Eye
Medium straw yellow, with brilliant clarity.

Nose
Riper and richer in profile than the domaine’s Beauroy cuvée, with pronounced citrus — juice, pith, and zest — alongside hay, white flowers, damp stone and lichen, flint, a touch of smoke, and green apple.

Palate
A juicy, powerful attack with a creamy texture, met by bright, ripe fruit and pronounced acidity. Fine phenolic grip and a saline, mineral finish that’s mouth-watering and lively, with notable concentration and a chewy, leesy depth for the vintage.

Food Pairing
A natural match for oysters and shellfish, mussels, goat’s cheese, or grilled fish with lemon butter — equally at ease as a refined aperitif or alongside a seafood platter.