Chablis That Isn't Raveneau and Dauvissat

There is a lot of Chablis out there. So much so that one in every five bottles from Burgundy display Chablis on the label each year. Truth is, the vast majority of it is reliably refreshing and little else. However, there's a wave of quality-minded producers making wines that transcend the category. Rather than simply brisk and citrusy, these wines have texture and concentration that makes them complex and age-worthy.

Everyone knows the standard-bearers, Raveneau and Dauvissat, and the centuries-old reputations of producers like Louis Michel and Christian Moreau speak for themselves. Instead, the five producers highlighted below are making Chablis in the same ilk as those icons, but these wines still offer value for the price.

Domaine Eleni et Edouard Vocoret

Eleni et Edouard Vocoret are a young couple running what is quickly becoming one of Chablis' most sought-after wineries. With select plots inherited from Edouard’s family, Domaine Vocoret, and guidance from their mentor, Dauvissat, they make wines that are concentrated, yet crisp and light on their feet.

Pattes Loup

Along with the similarly excellent Alice and Olivier de Moor, Thomas Pico is about as ‘natural’ as any winemaker in Chablis. Despite the region’s harsh weather, Thomas’ commitment to organic farming at Pattes Loup is fundamental, and he’s able to employ minimal intervention in the winery without sacrificing anything in the way of precision. After hand-harvesting old vines, Thomas ages his wines for an extended period, and bottles without fining or filtration. The results are some of the most textured, complex, and just plain delicious wines in Chablis.

Domaine Christophe et Fils

In his early 20’s, Sebastien Christophe started out in Chablis with a tiny plot of sub-par vineyard land. A couple decades later, Sebastien’s hand-harvested grapes now come from some of the most renowned sites in the region. At the top of the pyramid are his premier cru holdings in Fourchaume, Mont de Milieu, and Montée de Tonnerre. Of all the producers on this list, Domaine Christophe remains the most under-the-radar, meaning even his flagship Montée de Tonnerre still goes for around $50.

Moreau-Naudet

After taking over the family domaine from his father, Stéphane Moreau decided to lower yields, hand-harvest grapes, and convert to organic farming. Over the ensuing 15 years, Moreau-Naudet stamped its name more and more firmly onto the shortlist of Chablis’ best producers. Now run by Stéphane’s wife, Virginie, the wines continue to punch well above their weight for the price. All of their wines have the rare ability to be simultaneously deep and rounded, yet precise and intensely minerally.

Patrick Piuze

Patrick Piuze isn’t a new name in Burgundy. He was the winemaker at Olivier Leflaive before starting his own project in Chablis in 2008. He’s now one of Chablis’ benchmark producers, with a deep catalogue that ranges from village bottlings to wines from five of Chablis’ seven grand crus.