2020 William Fevre Les Lys Chablis Premier Cru

Nestled on the steep, rocky slopes along the banks of the river Serein, William Fèvre is a testament to a history spanning over one hundred and fifty million years. This terroir, characterized by clay-limestone soil, derived from the illustrious Kimmeridgian, a unique soil type found only in Chablis, Champagne, and southern England. This ancient soil, (180 million-year-old to be exact) is made up of clay and limestone that contains fossilized oyster shells. These vinous traits are the envy of winemakers worldwide yet remain unparalleled in their purity.

Since 1959, William Fèvre has been synonymous with excellence in Chablis. Taking over his family estate, William Fèvre infused new life and ambition into the vineyards, expanding the estate's holdings across Chablis' most historic terroirs. Today, Domaine William Fèvre boasts 70 hectares of prestigious vineyards, including 15.2 hectares of Grand Crus.

The vineyards are meticulously managed, with a focus on limiting yields and organic cultivation methods. Harvesting is performed by hand, ensuring only the finest grapes are selected. This rigorous attention to detail continues through every stage of winemaking, resulting in wines that truly express the essence of Chablis.

Under the guidance of Didier Séguier, awarded “White Winemaker of the Year 2018,” Domaine William Fèvre continues to push the boundaries of excellence. Séguier's commitment to environmental sustainability and biodiversity, alongside his impeccable winemaking skills, ensure the estate remains at the forefront of Chablis production. The estate's goal of organic certification by 2024, coupled with biodynamic practices, further underscores their dedication to preserving the terroir.

Les Lys is a "Very cool north-facing site, which is a sub-section of Vaillons and home to 50-60-year-old vines producing small, very concentrated berries."

Aging: 13 to 14 months (5 to 6 months on fine lees in French oak barrels).

100% Chardonnay.

Very cool north-facing site, which is a sub-section of Vaillons and home to 50-60-year-old vines producing small, very concentrated berries. Intense and fruit-driven but has lovely freshness to support the density on the palate. Persistent, mineral, with touch of orange spice on the aftertaste. Very impressive already. Drinking Window 2022 - 2028. ~93 Decanter

In the stellar lineup of premier crus at Domaine William Fèvre, the Les Lys bottling is always one of my sentimental favorites, as one does not get to taste top flight examples of this Left Bank terroir all that often. The 2020 Les Lys delivers a beautiful young nose of lemon, lime, pear, white lilies, bee pollen, a touch of anise and a marvelously complex base of limestone. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and racy, with beautiful precision on the attack, a superb core of fruit, fine mineral undertow and a long, snappy and laser-like finish. First class Chablis. (JG). ~93+ John Gilman

The 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Les Lys is also especially good this year, delivering aromas of white flowers, citrus oil, freshly baked bread and bee pollen. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with a fleshy core of fruit and racy girdling acids, this cool, marl-rich site has evidently excelled in 2020. The 2020 vintage makes the first year of official organic conversion for 78-hectare Domaine William Fèvre, though it's actually the 15th year the estate has been practicing organic. Didier Séguier reported that the year's challenges were twofold: having to pick harvest dates with unerring precision, and the necessity to sort out sunburnt grapes. The results, however, are once again exceptional, and it's hard to think of any of Chablis's larger estates that can match Fèvre for consistency and quality across the board. The 2020s, as ever bottled under Diam, are certainly built to evolve gracefully, but they will also show their cards sooner than the spectacular but hyper-concentrated 2019s. ~93+ Wine Advocate

This sample represents the whole of it, but Didier may select some out to make a Fourchaumes bottling as well. 32 hl/ha overall. Fully cloudy at the moment, with an opaque white fruit on the nose, and more of the fresh pears. At the moment the class shows more in the volume on the palate, where there is real density and then a fine youthful bitterness at the end. This is loaded towards the back of the palate, always a good sign. Drink from 2026-2032. ~93 Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

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