Today’s Story: Garnier & Fils
Garnier & Fils is a family endeavor in Chablis, where the Garnier family has owned 57 acres of property for decades. The current patriarch of the family sold their grapes to other winemakers, however in 1996 his sons Xavier and Jérôme produced their own wine for the first time and began selling it to restaurants. The two brothers share an equal passion for great wine as well as an eagerness to produce high-quality wines from this cool and challenging region, with Jérôme working the vineyards and Xavier making the wines.
Like many small and “newer” wineries, Garnier & Fils practices traditional, environmentally friendly, and organic farming/winemaking. They harvest their grapes later than many other producers in Chablis, ferment only with native yeasts, and store their wine in large (used) wood barrels to not impart any woody notes into the wines. This dedication to their winemaking process afforded Xavier and Jérôme the ability to make very deep-flavored and profound wines with their entry level all the way to the Grand Cru, also making them somewhat “rising stars.”
With top producers in Chablis such as Domaine François Raveneau and Vincent Dauvissat, it can be very hard for vintners to make a name for themselves and it comes over time. However, with the rising quality from Garnier & Fils I am eager to try more of their wines and believe that one day we will be much more familiar with them than we are now. I also speculate the incredibly reasonable price-point on their wines will creep up with that fame.
https://www.chablis-garnier.com/en/
Today’s Wine: 2017 Chablis
100% Chardonnay; 12.5% ABV
When asked to pick a bottle of Chardonnay for our group’s evening wine tasting, I was very glad to find this Chablis for its value and fact that many of my friends are not familiar with the wines of Burgundy. Our wine today is pale gold/straw yellow in color, almost water white toward the edges of the glass. The nose is very delicate and inviting with notes of green apple, pear, white florals, and mineral. Simple and classic. On the palate are notes of pear, green apple skins, citrus zest, white pepper, and chalk with a slight salinity to it. This Chablis is medium- to full-bodied with juicy acidity and a rounded, full finish.
Price: $30, a good price-point for entry Chablis. Pair this with an assortment of goat cheese or shellfish.
JB's Wine Talk 