Louis Michel Chablis Vaudesir

Chablis Vaudésir is the name of one of the seven Grand Cru climats on the hill north of the town of Chablis. Wines carrying it are made from Chardonnay, and the name points to a leaner, mineral style of white Burgundy rather than a rich, buttery one. Bottles in this style usually show green apple, lemon peel and pear. Wet stone, crushed oyster shell and a faint flinty note often sit underneath, and a little white blossom or hazelnut can appear with some bottle age. The details supplied for this bottle don't include a vintage, ABV or tasting notes, so treat that profile as what to expect from the style, not a measured description of this wine. Expect a medium body with firm, bright acidity and no tannin, since this is a white. Grand Cru Chablis tends to have more weight and a longer finish than village-level Chablis. Winemakers differ on oak: some use none at all, and others ferment or age part of the wine in older barrels for texture. Any oak influence is typically subtle, so the wine reads as taut and saline more than toasty. Serve it at about 10–12°C (50–54°F). Straight from a cold refrigerator it will taste muted, so take it out 20–30 minutes before pouring. A young bottle usually doesn't need decanting, but an hour open or a brief pour into a decanter can help if it seems tight. Use a medium white-wine glass or a light Burgundy-style glass with a modest bowl, which gathers the citrus and mineral aromas without letting them run off. At the table, the acidity and salinity suit raw oysters, clams, grilled scallops, sole meunière and crab. They also work with goat's cheese, aged Comté and roast chicken with a lemon-butter sauce. Cream sauces are fine, because the acidity cuts through them. Heavily spiced or sweet dishes will flatten the wine. Grand Cru Chablis can be opened young for its fresh edge. It also generally rewards cellaring, often for five to ten years or more in good vintages, when it gains a rounder, honeyed and nutty character. If you can't confirm the vintage, drinking it within a few years is the safer plan.