Product Description
Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay
Terroir: clay and limestone soil
Exposure of the vines: North-West
Age of the vines: 20 years old
Maturation: 8 months on fine lees in stainless steel tanks
ABOUT DOMANIE SCHALLER
The domaine Schaller is located in Préhy, in the heart of Chablis. They have more hectares of grain than of vines, and in the past all of the grapes from their 14 hectares of vineyards were sold to La Chablisienne, the co-op of Chablis. But Camille Schaller grew up dreaming of becoming a winemaker and when he returned to the domaine in 2014, his father was happy to let him make and bottle a small amount of wine. Uncertain of the market, Laurent only made 300cs Petit Chablis and 150cs Chablis, which very quickly sold out. The domaine has the potential to make much more as they have 4ha of Petit Chablis, 8ha of Chablis, 2ha of Aligoté and Pinot Noir, 23 ares of Vaucopin and, in the future, will also have some Vau de Vey. The Vaucopin is cultivated organically and Laurent is currently converting the rest of the domaine to organic viticulture. The vines are nearly 40 years old and planted between 6-8,000 vines/ha. The soils are worked mechanically and no weed killers are used.
The 2014 were all stainless steel fermented. With the 2015, Laurent experimented with one cuvee that saw some wood, but he admits it is not his style. This is a domaine with enormous potential. Unfortunately, in 2016, of the 14.3ha, only 1.2ha were not damaged by the hailstorm of late May.
The Guide Hachette 2017awarded them a star and commented on the Chablis 2014, “The first vinification of the domaine and the first star for Camille and Laurent Schaller with this 2014 very representative of its terroir. The joy is in the fruit; the elegance in the bottle.”
Once picked (Premier Cru are hand-harvested), the fruit is immediately loaded by gravity into a pneumatic press where they are gently crushed in order to obtain a perfect extraction of juice without any risk of oxidation. The juice settles for 12 to 24 hours, before alcoholic and malolactic fermentations in tanks. Wines are then aged on fine lees for 8-10 months, in stainless steel tanks for Petit Chablis and Chablis, and partly in oak barrels for Chablis Vieilles Vignes.