2022 Domaine Oudin Chablis, Burgundy

Bottled January. Pale lemon colour. A touch of reduction, just what it needs. A fine, classy, tense mineral Chablis, pure white fruit, a touch of liquorice, some flesh at the back, enough acidity. Tasted Jul 2024.

89 points Jasper Morris MW insideburgundy.com

From the northern reaches of Burgundy, where cool winds sweep down from Champagne and limestone soils dominate the landscape, comes a Chablis that captures precision, purity and exceptional value. Domaine Oudin is a small, family run estate based in Chichée, just outside the town of Chablis. The domaine has been in the Oudin family for generations, with Nathalie Oudin now leading the winemaking with a focus on clean, terroir driven expressions of Chardonnay. Vineyards are planted on classic Kimmeridgian limestone rich in fossilised marine life, the defining soil of Chablis that gives the wines their unmistakable mineral tension.

In the glass the colour is pale straw with bright green flashes, immediately suggesting freshness. The aromatics are refined and classy, offering lemon zest, green apple and white peach layered with citrus blossom and crushed oyster shell. There is a flinty, chalky lift that speaks clearly of its cool climate origins and limestone soils.

On the palate it is dry, crisp and beautifully structured. Citrus and orchard fruit glide across a spine of vibrant natural acidity, giving drive and length. A subtle textural roundness from careful lees work adds depth without compromising the wine’s signature tension. The finish is long, clean and mineral, lingering with notes of lemon peel and wet stone. It is classic Chablis in style, elegant rather than heavy, with impressive balance for its level.

Pair with freshly shucked oysters, grilled prawns, sashimi, goat cheese with herbs or classic sole meunière. Delicious in its youth for its bright citrus and mineral cut, it will also cellar confidently for five to eight years, developing subtle honeyed and nutty nuances while retaining freshness.