Roy-Prevostat ‘Les Lys’ 2006 Chablis 1er Cru

Roy-Prevostat 2006 “Les Lys” Chablis 1er Cru

Pairs with: Délice de Bourgogne

Good for: Impressing your wine connoisseur friend.

Grape: Chardonnay

I am from: Chablis, France

The story: Roy-Prevostat is a 400-year-old family-run affair that stays at the top of the game by keeping things simple in the vineyard. When you’ve got prized plots like these, with a legacy stretching back to France’s monastic era, it’s all about respecting the land and traditional viticulture. Spanning 69 acres, the vineyard occupies the high slopes of a southeast-facing hill composed of clay-limestone studded with fossilized seashells. This ideal exposure allows vines to drink in the warm early-morning sun and protects the grapes from spring and winter chills. After 100 years in the ground, those vines produce grapes with a sublime complexity that’s nurtured in the cellar through a gentle pressing and native-yeast fermentation. The wine spends 18 months resting on its fine lees to add richness and body, but this is balanced by a vibrant acidity that practically begs for oysters or caviar.