Jean Collet Chardonnay, Montmains 1er Cru, Chablis, Burgundy, France 2022
Jean Collet founded this domaine in 1954, heir to a family that has grown grapes in Chablis since 1792. His son Gilles ran it with characteristic flair for decades before handing the reins to his own son, Romain, in the mid-2000s. At just twenty-one, Romain brought native-yeast fermentations and organic and biodynamic trials into a domaine built on some of Chablis's oldest vines. Each cru is vinified and aged to its own character — the leanest, most mineral sites are kept in inert vessels, while richer, clay-influenced parcels see time in neutral oak — giving the range a fuller, more Côte d'Or-leaning register than Chablis's reputation for austerity might suggest.
- Winemaker: Romain Collet
- Farming: Organic
- Variety: 100% Chardonnay
- Terroir: Left bank of the Serein, four parcels totaling roughly 5 hectares; almost purely Kimmeridgian limestone marl bedrock and topsoil with next to no clay content.
- Vinification: Native-yeast fermentation in stainless steel.
- Aging: Stainless steel only — the only 1er cru in the range raised with no oak — to preserve the site's mineral edge and textural precision.
- Tasting Notes: Crushed stone and citrus with a saline, nutty finish; taut and mineral-driven.
- Food Pairings: Oysters, other raw shellfish, or a simple goat cheese.
Jean Collet Chardonnay, Montmains 1er Cru, Chablis, Burgundy, France 2022
Jean Collet founded this domaine in 1954, heir to a family that has grown grapes in Chablis since 1792. His son Gilles ran it with characteristic flair for decades before handing the reins to his own son, Romain, in the mid-2000s. At just twenty-one, Romain brought native-yeast fermentations and organic and biodynamic trials into a domaine built on some of Chablis's oldest vines. Each cru is vinified and aged to its own character — the leanest, most mineral sites are kept in inert vessels, while richer, clay-influenced parcels see time in neutral oak — giving the range a fuller, more Côte d'Or-leaning register than Chablis's reputation for austerity might suggest.
- Winemaker: Romain Collet
- Farming: Organic
- Variety: 100% Chardonnay
- Terroir: Left bank of the Serein, four parcels totaling roughly 5 hectares; almost purely Kimmeridgian limestone marl bedrock and topsoil with next to no clay content.
- Vinification: Native-yeast fermentation in stainless steel.
- Aging: Stainless steel only — the only 1er cru in the range raised with no oak — to preserve the site's mineral edge and textural precision.
- Tasting Notes: Crushed stone and citrus with a saline, nutty finish; taut and mineral-driven.
- Food Pairings: Oysters, other raw shellfish, or a simple goat cheese.