Discover the Chablis Premier Cru appellation
and its cuvée des Hospices de Beaune

The style of Chablis wines

As the northernmost region of Burgundy, Chablis wines are truly distinctive. The premier and grand crus embody the crystalline expression of Chardonnay, with the two key words that are unmistakably associated with them: minerality and freshness. They're also associated with lovely tension, liveliness in their youth and remarkable precision.

In their youth, Chablis wines present fresh, pure aromas of lemon, green apple and white flowers, sometimes enhanced by iodine or slightly saline nuances. The palate is taut, lively and refreshing, with a light to medium structure that lends elegance and balance to wines from this northern terroir.

The Premier Crus are distinguished by their complexity and ageing potential, which can last for a decade or more. Over time, they develop more complex secondary notes of almond, hazelnut or a touch of salt, without ever losing their signature freshness and tension.

In short, a Chablis Premier Cru combines the striking minerality and aromatic finesse displayed by the delicate Chardonnay grape on this northern Kimmeridgian terroir, with an evolutionary potential that rewards the patience of the cuvée buyer.

Chablis is one of the Burgundy regions we know best at Albert Bichot. Why is that? Because our famous 65-hectare Domaine Long-Depaquit enables us to know every facet and subtlety, with 5 premier crus and 5 grands crus, including our famous Monopole La Moutonne. So it's no surprise that Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet cuvée Jean-Marc Brocard is one of the wines we regularly buy at Hospice auctions!

Buy a Chablis 1er Cru wine at the Hospices de Beaune auction with Albert Bichot

In this small (by size!) appellation, the Domaine des Hospices de Beaune auctions off a single cuvée each year, in very limited quantities (2 or 3 barrels maximum): Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet cuvée Jean-Marc Brocard. We offer two auction purchase options, from one bottle to a full barrel. You can also find our older vintages immediately available in our online store.

Chablis terroir

The 51-hectare Côte de Léchet lies on the left bank of the Serein and benefits from generous sunshine. Its slopes are particularly steep, sometimes reaching 38%, which favors rapid ripening of the grapes and early harvesting. The soil, typical of the Chablis region, is made up of rough Kimmeridgian marl overlaid with clay and "rabbit soil", a mixture of calcareous sands degraded by cold and frost. These slopes allow effective natural drainage, but require a great deal of work on the part of the winegrowers, who must regularly raise the soil and deal with the pebbles brought down by stormy rains.

This terroir gives the wines intense minerality and great aromatic purity, while the exposure and slope ensure the concentration and balance characteristic of Chablis Premiers Crus. The Côte de Léchet, with its sunny climate and complex soils, is a perfect example of how terroir influences the elegant, lively and refined style of great Chablis wines.

Thanks to our ownership of Domaine Long-Depaquit, the Chablis stronghold of Albert Bichot, we have a real passion for these northern terroirs, which we know inside out! So, every year at the Hospices de Beaune Auction, we do our utmost to buy the Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet cuvée Jean-Marc Brocard cuvée up for auction and defend the "Northern Burgundy" we love so much. As with all the Hospices de Beaune and Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges wines we buy at auction, we pay close attention to the subtle and delicate way in which these great wines are aged for a great cause. To find out more, click here.

The climat of Chablis 1er Cru within the Hospices de Beaune estate

• Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet cuvée Jean-Marc Brocard: Côte de Léchet

Chablis appellation map

Etymology & history

The name Chablis has its origins in the ancient Gallo-Roman designation Caballis or Cabilacum, derived from the name of a Roman estate or villa in the region. Over the centuries, this toponymy evolved into Chablis, gradually designating the village and surrounding area.

The etymology thus reflects the region's ancient history, marked by Roman occupation and the establishment of agricultural estates that later served as the basis for the development of vineyards. The name thus evokes not a characteristic of the soil or the wine, but a place inhabited and cultivated since Antiquity, whose exceptional terroir was progressively exploited for viticulture, until the officialization of the appellation in the XXᵉ century.

The history of Chablis dates back to antiquity, when the region was occupied by the Romans. The Romans thus initiated vine cultivation on the sun-exposed hillsides, already recognizing the quality of the limestone soils that still characterize the vineyards today. In the Middle Ages, viticulture was structured under the influence of monasteries, in particular the Pontigny and Cîteaux abbeys, which owned and cultivated numerous plots of land. These monks introduced more rigorous pruning and vinification methods, contributing to the growing reputation of Chablis wines. The names of some of today's climats, such as Les Preuses, Montée de Tonnerre and Vaillons, already appear in the charters and registers of the time, bearing witness to the precise mapping of quality plots.

From the XVIIᵉ and XVIIIᵉ centuries onwards, Chablis wines became sought-after by the royal courts and Parisian merchants, and certain Burgundian families began to establish their reputation, such as the Long-Depaquit family who gave their name to the eponymous estate, now owned by our house Albert Bichot. At the time, the region was renowned for the finesse and freshness of its wines, in contrast to the more opulent southern Burgundies.

The appellation became official in 1938 with the AOC system, establishing Chablis as an appellation of excellence and introducing a hierarchy of climates: Chablis village, Premiers Crus and Grands Crus. Today, Chablis is an emblematic appellation of Burgundy.

Discover all the Domaine des Hospices de Beaune appellations

Key facts about the Chablis appellation