Domaine De La Motte Chablis Premier Cru Vau-Ligneau

Domaine de la Motte is a 25 hectare, family-run winery handed down from father to son since 1950. Now under the stewardship of Bernard Michaut, an ex-chef, who works with his son Adrien. Their winemaking is meticulous and the wines are benchmarks for the region. They are fastidious about producing concentrated, mineral and very precise wines which reflect the particular terroirs of Chablis, with vines on both Portlandian and Kimmeridgian soils. Motte's wines are regularly chosen for the Tastevinage label, a rigorous selection by the Confrerie des Chevaliers de Tastevin of wines they regard as offering the best of the region in terms of quality and style.

Chardonnay,

The lieu-dit of Vau-Ligneau is one of Chablis' more recent promotees to Premier Crus status, elevated for consistently producing superior quality wines. Chardonnay grapes are grown on 40 year old vines in Kimmeridgian soil with a south easterly exposure (giving a more mineral style than the Premier Cru Beauroy which comes from south / south westerly vineyards). A deep layer of white clay gives the wine length, finesse and elegance.

In the winery, after pressing, gravity is utilised to gently separate the juice from the skins and pulp. 35% of the wine is fermented in 228 litre oak barrels, the rest in stainless steel (which undergoes malolactic fermentation for 5 weeks). The oaked proportion remains in barrel for 12 months.

The bolder Michaut style deftly added to the more restrained style of Vau-Lignau to create a textural, elegant white.

Gentle citrus, sweet hay and toast on the nose, followed by taught minerality, savoury toast and more textural citrus flavours. A really neat, clean moreish Chablis with a lingering mineral finish.

Try with chicken richer style of fish dishes, shellfish, chicken and creamy sauce.