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“The Un-Chardonnay”

Chardonnay, the world’s most planted varietal, also seems to be one of the most polarizing- either you love Chard or you hate it.  If I had to choose sides, sorry Chard but it’s been a fun ride.

But Wait!  There’s one expression of Chardonnay that I truly enjoy: Chablis.  Actually, all well-made, cool-climate Chards that don’t see a judicious amount of oak are pretty fantastic.  The problem is that these other examples from the Loire, Northern Italy and Austria are produced in miniscule quantities and rarely seen, so therefore, we shall focus on our more widely available buddy Chablis.

What makes Chablis special?

The Climate.  Chablis is technically in Burgundy but is actually closer to Champagne in the north of France than the rest of Burgundy in the South.  It is significantly cooler, producing a high-toned style with higher acidity and because the wines tend to be much leaner, the wines are aged in stainless vats or large, neutral barrels.  In the other parts of Burgundy and the New World, judicious amounts of new barrels have become the norm, producing a rounder, oakier style of wine.  If Chablis is all about finesse, heavily oaked Chard is about as graceful as a newborn’s first steps.

The Soil.  All the prime sites of Chablis sit in a dried-up ocean bed full of oceanic minerals combined with chalk known as Kimmeridgian soil.  These attributes are reflected in the wines and possess a chalky, steeliness that is more reminiscent of Sancerre than any other version of Chard.  For those who prefer crispier whites, these are the Chardonnays for you.

Value-Oriented Chablis:

William Fevre, ‘Champs Royaux’, ’08

Gilbert Picq, ’08

Both of these wines rock for the price.  These bottlings represent an awesome chance to have a glimpse into the possibilities of Chablis without breaking the bank.

Non-Value-Oriented Chablis:

There are 3 rockstar producers of Chablis and the prices reflect their efforts: Fevre, Dauvissat and Raveneau.  These guys predominantly work with only the best Premier Cru and Grand Cru sites, so if you have the chance, jump on it and drink that juice because it is probably on somebody else’s tab.

Ballstein

February…Shortest Month Ever

First and foremost, I must apologize to my legions of loyal fans (aka my mom) for not making one post in the month of February- the idea of a blog seemed so effortless on paper.

Moving on…What a jammed pack month.  Social celebrated its 3rd anniversary- it is still incomprehensible that three years have passed.  A gigantic ‘thank you’ to all who attended the festivities as well as made it possible.  The juice was flowin’, the music via Space Invaders was bumpin’ and the debauchery was incitin’.

Next, I competed in the Regionals of the Youth Sommelier Competition.  Didn’t win, didn’t advanced but I learned a massive amount and plan to be a tour de force next year.  I’m gunnin’ for the gold mofos.

More importantly, our new GM, Zach Smith, started on the 1st and is now in full swing.  He hails from Charlotte via Houston has been a GM for Upstream restaurant and XO wine bar and lounge.  One should expect higher standards in all facets of the operation so pop by and make friends.  He happens to be a really nice guy too.

Lastly, I was accepted to sit the Advanced Sommelier Examination (Level 3) in Anaheim at the end of April.  The pass rate is painfully low at 20% but everybody needs a challenge.  Over the next two months, I will be sure to keep you posted of all the odd rules, regulations and appellations that I must learn to pass.  The wine world is a funny place and quite often, bureaucracy as opposed to logic, becomes the driving force- just ask Tyler Coleman(www.drvino.com).

That’s the update.  I have a lot of big, big plans for this blog in 2010 so stay tuned…or just check back in a few days.  Tell then, drink some delicious juice and stay warm (unless you are currently cold, then get warm).

Ballstein