Life on the Margin: Chablis 2019/2020 

BY NEAL MARTIN | OCTOBER 21, 2021

I am savoring an al fresco lunch in the heart of Chablis by the Sirein River, which is covered with water lilies and overlooked by flower boxes of multicolored pansies. There are few cars; I hear the occasional chugging din of a vineyard tractor, but otherwise, it’s disarmingly quiet. Chablis is basking in a spell of warm weather. There’s not a puff of cloud in the sky. Admiring the beauty and peacefulness of my surroundings, I wonder why so few people make the journey up from Beaune or down from Paris. But then again, I’m glad they don’t.

Looking down the Sirein River in the heart of Chablis.

Chablis might well be my favorite wine region to visit, and right now it’s at what you might term “peak idyllic.” Its isolation from the Côte d’Or by the vast nothingness of the French countryside means that Chablis is left alone. The town has always been a little shabby around the edges; some buildings are overdue for renovation and a fresh lick of paint, but this just adds to the bucolic charm. That’s not to say that there aren’t changes afoot. One of the region’s finest restaurants, Au Fil du Zinc, is located in Chablis and has a brilliant new chef who’s killing it in the kitchen. Not far away, a once-empty building has sprung to life as chichi wine bar Chablis Wine Not, the new venture from Zinc’s former owner, Fabien Espana. Plus, there’s the new Maufoux just up the road. All of the aforementioned establishments boast wine lists that would embarrass most Beaune restaurants. Speaking of which, this place reminds me of Beaune in the late 1990s: rural, parochial, with a light seasoning of wine-loving tourists. How long will this last?

Finishing my lunch, I have a quick espresso to refuel and some water to rinse my mouth, then set off for my next visit. The veil of tranquillity and the cloudless blue sky disguise a region coming to terms with a tumultuous growing season in which spring frosts decimated vast swaths of vine and mildew is a constant and growing threat. Every day demands long, arduous hours in the vines. Winemakers and vineyard laborers are visibly exhausted, even though they can hope for a minuscule crop at best. We will see what the 2021 vintage will bring, but for now, my focus is on 2019 and 2020. What do they have to offer to readers who have followed Chablis for years, or consumers who are looking for affordable alternatives to the Côte d’Or? 

This new wine bar is another magnet, drawing people to Chablis. Fantastic wine list inside.

The Growing Seasons

I summarized the 2019 growing season last year, and I reproduce that summary here since it pertains to many of the wines included in this year’s report.