Chablis, Domaine de la Motte

The One-Liner

A lovely and rich wine from the IWSC French Producer of the Year 2013.

Tasting Note

A classic Chablis from vines grown on the famous Kimmeridgian clay with nervy, mineral fruit but added depth from a small, around 10%, addition of some oak aged wine into the blend. This is very typical of the Motte style and gives a richness and balance to the wine.

Producer Details

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 and nephew Guillaume, his winery is small but perfectly formed and has benefited from a recent 1m euro investment. His wine-making is meticulous and the wines are benchmarks for the region. They are fastidious about producing wines which reflect the very particular terroirs of Chablis with vines on both Portlandien and Kimmeridgien soil, concentrated, mineral and very precise wines. Their wines are regularly chosen for the Tastevinage label – a rigorous selection by the Confrérie des Chevaliers de Tastevin of wines they regard as offering the best of the region in terms of quality and style. It is no surprise, therefore, they were named IWSC French Wine Producer of the Year 2013.

In The Vineyard

Grapes are machine harvested to preserve the freshness and purity of flavour.

In The Winery

Pneumatic pressing immediately after harvest is then followed by a gravity settling period of 24 hours in stainless steel vats. Fermentation takes place in thermo-regulating stainless steel tanks for approximately 15 days at 21 degrees celcius. The wine then undergoes malolactic fermentation in stainless for approximately 5 weeks at 20 degrees. Following this, the wine is racked between December to January, and between February to March it is fined with bentonite and isinglass. Cold stabilisation at -3 degrees for 5 days before filtration and finally bottling.

Food Recommendations

Chicken with a creamy mushroom sauce, Thai dishes, or fish with salad greens.

Awards & Press

2012 Vintage: Sommelier Wine Awards 2015 - Bronze.