Jeremy Arnaud Chablis 1er Cru Vau De Vey La Grande Chaume 2021 – Magnum

Born into a winemaking family in Chablis, Jérémy Arnaud chose to prove himself independently, founding his own micro-domaine in 2016 with a single 0.55-hectare parcel rather than joining the family estate. Trained at the Lycée Viticole in Beaune and holding a National Diploma in Oenology, he broadened his experience across Meursault, Beaune, and Pauillac before returning to Chablis to chart his own course. The domaine has since grown to nearly five hectares, all farmed and vinified by Jérémy alone — no herbicides, hand harvesting, native yeast fermentations, no fining or filtration, sulphur kept to a minimum. His philosophy is simple: let the terroir and vintage speak without interference.

THE TERROIR — VAU DE VEY, LA GRANDE CHAUME

Vau de Vey is one of Chablis’ most distinctive Premier Cru sites, situated on the left bank of the Serein river just outside the village of Beine. Its name derives from the Latin vadum — a ford or marshy place — a nod to the stream that once flooded the valley’s entrance and whose influence is still felt in the soils. The slope is dramatic, south-east facing and steep enough in places to reach 50%, making any mechanical intervention virtually impossible. Everything here is done by hand.

The soils are shallow and very stony, classic Kimmeridgian marl of Upper Jurassic origin, with outcrops of raw marne visible at the surface in places. It is some of the most mineral-charged terroir in all of Chablis. «La Grande Chaume» is Jérémy’s specific parcel within the Vau de Vey climat, planted in the 1980s — old enough vines to draw real depth and concentration from this exceptional site. Production is tiny, making this one of the rarest cuvées in the domaine.

VINIFICATION

Grapes are hand-harvested and gently pressed as whole clusters. Fermentation proceeds spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged on fine lees in a combination of old oak barrels and tank, building texture and complexity while preserving the natural tension of the terroir. Bottled without fining or filtration, with minimal sulphur.

TASTING NOTES — 2021

Eye: Pale gold, bright and precise, with a silvery green rim.

Nose: Intensely mineral and focused — the hallmark of a great Kimmeridgian site in a cool vintage. Citrus oil, white flowers, fresh hazelnut, fennel, and beeswax, with a subtle smoky, iodine-tinged depth that speaks directly of the Serein valley. Lifted and pure, with a restrained complexity that opens progressively in the glass.

Palate: Dense, vertical, and tensile — this is serious Chablis. The attack is precise and citrus-edged, with a firm, chalky backbone driving through to a long, persistent finish of extraordinary mineral purity. 2021’s cool-vintage acidity is at its finest here, giving the wine an electric, laser-like quality and real ageing potential. Deeply satisfying now with food, but built to evolve.

FOOD PAIRING

Sole meunière, turbot with beurre blanc, langoustines, scallops with a light cream sauce, aged Comté, oysters.