A joint Venture between cousins – President of French wine group Badet Clément, Laurent Delaunay, has teamed up with his winemaker cousin, Dominique Gruhier, to launch a contemporary and international Chablis wine brand – Grand Calcaire to “shake up Chablis”.

The two cousins are both from the fifth generation of the Delaunay family, a renowned family of Burgundy negociants and producers in the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune who have played an important role in the region since 1893.

The wines are made after the pair selected what they believe to be the best plots, often shaded north-facing plots as well as the misty slopes with Kimmeridgian clay limestone marl soil.

It is this typical ‘cool terroir’ character that they sought out to allow them to these minerality rich wines. The name ”Calcaire” refers to the distinctive limestone and this signature chalkiness.

Terroir – Situation: Carefully selected grapes grown on cool hillside vineyard plots.Clay-limestone marls from the Kimmeridgian peppered with small comma-shaped limestone oysters (known as ‘Ostrea Virgula’) mea- suring just a few millimetres. This unique soil type gives the wines their original characters and distinctive minerality. The nighttime temperatures are cool owing to the northern position of the vineyards which helps to preserve the grapes’ acidity

Vinification and ageing – The grape juice is settled with precision before being fermented primarily in stainless steel vats with careful monitoring of the temperature and fermentation kinetics. A small proportion of the musts are fermented in oak barrels. The wine is then aged on its fine lees with stirring (bâtonnage) carried out during the first two months of ageing to create even greater complexity. Frequent tastings help to ensure the optimum development of the wine’s organoleptic qualities before the final blending stage.

Beautiful pale golden hue. Expressive and intense nose dominated by spring flowers (calendula, daisy) and citrus aromas (lemongrass and candied lemon) complemented by subtle spicy notes ( angelica, ginger, cedar) and a touch of sugared almonds. On entry to the palate, the wine is fresh, lively and zesty with good length and a minerality that finish with refreshing notes of orange peel.

James Suckling – 91 points

Who says that Chablis has to be austere? This elegant, medium-bodied wine marries full orange blossom aroma with a lovely creaminess, the chalky minerality deftly woven into this very harmonious picture. Good length and plenty of vitality for this humble appellation. Drink or hold.