The Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) included 2 visits of highly-regarded Chablis producers: Domaine Séguinot-Bordet in the North of Chablis and Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard in the South of the region.
Until the end of 2013, Jean-François Bordet, who owns and runs Domaine Séguinot-Bordet, also had the job of President of the Chablis Wine Board, which includes representing the wines of Chablis on marketing tours around the world. In that function, Jean-François Bordet visited LA and Washington DC in November 2013. Several events took place in Washington DC. I was privileged to be able to attend a tête-à-tête Chablis Dinner in Washington DC at Chef Robert Wiedmaier’s Marcel’s and Annette Schiller a fine luncheon at Proof. That’s how the contact between Annette Schiller and Jean-François Bordet was established.
See also:
Pure Chablis – A tête-à-tête Dinner in Washington DC at Marcel’s with Chablis Wine Board President and Winemaker Jean-François Bordet, Domaine Séguinot-Bordet, USA/France
Chablis
Chablis is part of the Bourgogne wine region, but wines from Chablis are usually referred to by their own name. Chablis is up in the north, a separate wine region.
Burgundy is the most terroir-oriented region in France. Immense attention is paid to the area of origin, as opposed to Bordeaux, where classifications are producer-driven and awarded to individual chateaux. In Burgundy, a specific vineyard or region will bear a given classification, regardless of the wine producer.
The main levels in the Chablis classifications, in descending order of quality, are:
(1) At the top of the classification are the Grand Cru vineyards, which are all located on a single hillside near the town of Chablis. The Grand Cru vineyards cover a 106 hectare area, made up of 7 “Climats” (Blanchot, Bougros, Les Clos, Grenouilles, Preuses, Valmur and Vaudersir) and account for around 3% of Chablis’ production.
(2) Second in quality are the Premier Cru vineyards, covering an area of 750 hectares, gathered together into 40 “Climats”.
(3) Next is the generic AOC Chablis, the largest appellation.
(4) At the lowest end of the classification is Petit Chablis, which comprises the outlying land.
Chablis wines are almost all Chardonnay, bone-dry and fresh, with good acidity. Compared with the whites from the rest of Burgundy, Chablis tends to have much less influence of oak. Typically, Chablis is completely unoaked, vinified in stainless steel tanks, although many Grand Cru and Premier Cru wines receive some maturation in oak barrels. But aging time in the barrel and the share of new wood tends to be much smaller than for white wines of the Cote d’Or.
Jean-François Bordet and Domaine Séguinot-Bordet
Domaine Séguinot-Bordet dates from 1590, having been passed down through the generations until now, with Jean-François Bordet in control, who took over from his grandfather. Jean-Francois Bordet has established his own name after an apprenticeship with his grandfather. Whereas most of his vineyards are Petit Chablis or Chablis, he is lucky enough to own a slice of Fourchaume, felt by many to be the finest of the Premier Cru vineyards.
The wines are made in a modern winery, with vinification in stainless steel vats to preserve freshness. Jean-François places particular emphasis on obtaining the best fruit possible, through careful pruning, debudding and harvesting. Jean-François Bordet practices cool fermentation and allows his wines to mature for 3-5 months on their lees; this maximizes the contact and promotes a luscious style to the wines.
Jean-François Bordet makes 10,000 cases of wine.
The Domaine Séguinot-Bordet Portfolio
We tasted our way through the Domaine Séguinot-Bordet Portfolio
Petit Chablis
Very pretty pale golden yellow in color with light greenish glints. Bright, luminous and limpid. The nose is young, fresh and vivacious in a whirlwind of floral, fruity scents. The taste is lively, pleasant and perfumed, revealing lemon and verbena on a fine mineral background. We discover the pleasure of drinking for sheer enjoyment. The finish is pleasant leaving the mouth tingling with an airy freshness.
Chablis
Very pretty pale golden yellow in color with light greenish glints. Bright, luminous and limpid. Le nez is reminiscent of the scented freshness of a lovely summer’s morning. The taste is perfect harmony of maturity, mellowness and vivacity. The flowers and fruit reappear, enhanced by charming biscuit notes. The mineral touch, fine and airy, shows through well on the finish to accompany our thirst and pleasure right to the end.
Chablis Vieilles Vignes
Very pretty pale golden yellow in color with light greenish glints. Bright, luminous and limpid. The nose is copious, fresh and expressive. It illustrates its maturity with bright colors, sparkling yellows and shining gold. The taste again reveals its powerful nature, rich, charming and elegant. A harmonious combination of powerful mellowness and tender vivacity. The long so obviously mineral finish is a perfect illustration of the wine’s serious yet charming character.
Chablis Sainte Victoire
Very pretty pale golden yellow in color with light greenish glints. Bright, luminous and limpid. Already on the nose one can sense its good breeding, freshness and maturity in a festival of flower and fruit. The fruit is ripe, bursting with sunshine. The taste is powerful with a pretty harmonious mellowness that is transported by a frank, yet far from aggressive liveliness. The pronounced mineral finish combined with delicate toasty, vanilla note ensures long lasting pleasure.
Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons
Very pretty pale gold with light green hints. Bright, intense. The nose is a tornado of fresh perfumed flowers, leading the way to a summer fruit platter of peaches, pears and melon. Flowers and fruit compete in harmony with great balance achieved by fresh acidity. The long finish adds to its complexity.
Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume
Very pretty pale golden yellow in color with light greenish glints. Bright, luminous and limpid. The nose is an explosion of fine fresh notes, of elegant white flowers, fresh brioche and leafy tenderness. The taste reveals instantly all its power, richness and elegance-perfect balance of finess, mineral, mellowness and vivacity. It generously offers us a full spectrum of aromas. The finish just goes on and on, never to the forgotten.
Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir
Very pretty pale golden yellow in color with light greenish glints. Bright, luminous and limpid… The nose is like a ray of sunshine with a multitude of summer scents. The taste is a perfect balance of class and elegance, vivacity and mellowness. The finish – this is never -ending-, smooth and silky, harmonious and nimble.
Bye-bye
Thanks Jean-François Bordet for a great visit.
Postings on the Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France (Posted and Forthcoming)
Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Champagne Jean Josselin in Gyé-sur-Seine: Tour and Tasting with Jean Pierre Josselin - Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
The Wines of Tonnerre, France – Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Visit: Domaine Séguinot-Bordet in Maligny, Chablis: Cellar Tour and Chablis Tasting with Owner and Winemaker Jean-François Bordet
Domaine Brocard in Chablis: Lunch, Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Odile Van Der Moere, Responsable de Cave
Dinner at Hostellerie Chateau de la Barge in Creches-sur-Saone
Domaine Ferret in Fuissé, Poully-Fuissé, Mâconnais: Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Cyril Laumain, Chef de Cave
Lunch at Hostellerie d'Heloise in Cluny
Domaine Theulot Juillot in Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise: Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Nathalie and Jean-Claude Theulot
Maison Olivier Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet: Vineyard Walk Cellar Tour and Lunch with Wine Tasting at Restaurant La Table d’Olivier Leflaive with Patrick Leflaive
Wine Tasting at Domaine Mestre Père & Fils in Santenay with Jonathan Maestre
Visit: Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils in Beaune
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Beaune, Bourgogne
Visit: Musée de l’Hospice de Beaune with Karoline Knoth, M.A.
Domaine A-F Gros in Beaune: Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Owner and Winemaker Mathias Parent
Visit: Maison Joseph Drouhin in Beaune
Domaine Faiveley in Nuits-Saint-George: Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Mathilde Nicolas (Brand Ambassador)
Wine Tasting at Domaine du Château de Prémeaux in Nuits Saint Georges with Owner and Winemaker Arnaud Pelletier
Domaine Armelle et Bernard Rion in Vosne-Romanée: Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Bernard Rion and Alice Rion
Domaine Guillon & Fils in Gevrey Chambertin: Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Jean-Michel Guillon
Visit: Château du Clos de Vougeot
schiller-wine: Related Postings (Chablis)
The Wines of Tonnerre, France – Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Dinner at the Hostellerie des Clos in Chablis (Chef: Michel Vignaud), France
Pure Chablis – A tête-à-tête Dinner in Washington DC at Marcel’s with Chablis Wine Board President and Winemaker Jean-François Bordet, Domaine Séguinot-Bordet, USA/France
Domaine Séguinot-Bordet in Maligny, Chablis: Tour and Tasting with Owner and Winemaker Jean-François Bordet – Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)