Domaine De L’Enclos Chablis 1er Cru Mont De Milieu 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.

The domaine obtained organic certification in 2018, 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.

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

The vineyard
Mont de Milieu 1er Cru sits on the right bank of the Serein, to the north of Chablis, considered one of the appellation’s most esteemed climats. Nestled on a hillside protected from cold northern winds by the surrounding forest, the south-southeast-facing vines bask in sunlight from morning until evening, planted on clay soil interspersed with small limestone pebbles.

Vinification
Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts in older French oak barrels. The wine is aged on fine lees in barrel for 12 months, followed by a further six months in tank, then lightly filtered with only moderate sulphur added at bottling — a deliberately gentle approach with no influence of new oak.

Eye
Intense straw yellow, with brilliant, youthful luminosity.

Nose
A fine reduction with lingering yeast notes opens onto zesty citrus aromas, crisp stone fruit, chalk, and the appellation’s signature crushed oyster shell character, lifted by a subtle iodine, sea-breeze freshness. Precise, cool, and distinctly mineral.

Palate
Dense and intense, yet vibrant and agile, with a slender profile and a round mouthfeel. Fine tannic grip and elegant acidity carry through to a floral, fragrant finish marked by white-fleshed fruit and a long, subtly saline close.

Food Pairing
A classic pairing for oysters and seafood — equally well suited to grilled shellfish, a fresh seafood platter, or simply enjoyed on its own as a precise, mineral-driven aperitif.