During what has seemed like endless solitude, sheltering in place in my “household bubble” of one, what I have most missed is international travel. When a European wine industry friend told me about his forthcoming wine tour to another country, I was thrilled to hear about the lifting of travel restrictions there.
At the same time, I am saddened to remain isolated from most of Europe and other parts of the world due to coronavirus travel restrictions. Over the course of that day and the days following, I recalled recent travels to wine destinations like Mendoza, Argentina, and the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia.
I thought about my college French studies abroad and a subsequent trip to Paris and Nice. As a French major and professor, I have long been a Francophile. During my summer in France at age 21, I had my first tastes of Burgundian Pinot Noir and became a budding oenophile.
It was not until 2010 that I had my first “Chablis moment” – a 2008 Jean-Marc Brocard “Chardonnay En Sol Kimméridgien” – a delicious example of cool-climate Chardonnay grown in soil characterized by a combination of clay, limestone and fossilized oyster shells.
At first taste, I became enamored with this style of Chardonnay – Chablis and its “perfect manifestation of terroir.” This led to more moments, a 2012 New Year’s Eve wine dinner with François Servin Special Reserve Chablis, and in 2016, a blind tasting of Chardonnays, when I selected the 2014 Domaine William Fèvre Champs Royaux Chablis as my favorite, writing at the time, “An experiment of quality versus price blind tasting in class tonight. Thank goodness I love and chose the Chablis.”
Therefore, when given the opportunity to interview and taste remotely with Chablis Wine Board president and winemaker/winegrower of Domaine Séguinot-Bordet (seguinot-bordet.com/en/), Jean-François Bordet, I jumped at the chance. After all, this was the closest I would get to Chablis for the foreseeable future.
That morning, I traveled to Chablis with my senses, and through my conversation with Bordet in Chablis and sommelier Kristie Petrullo Campbell in New York, who presented the wines for the tasting – the 2019 Jean-Marc Brocard Petit Chablis; 2019 Jean Marc-Brocard Chablis Vieilles Vignes de Sainte Claire; 2018 Domaine Séguinot-Bordet Chablis; 2018 Domaine Séguinot-Bordet Chablis Premier Cru Fourchaume and 2017 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons.
I do not think it is a coincidence that three of the wines were from two of the producers I mentioned as being my Chablis moments.
Bordet took over Domaine Séguinot-Bordet from his grandfather, Roger Séguinot, whom he says was his mentor. Bordet knew from an early age that “it was his destiny to become a winegrower.” He recalled the moments he and his grandfather spent together in at the estate, which began as a small farm with only three hectares of vineyards.
“He was very much involved in the syndicate for the defense of the Chablis appellation. He was a visionary. He was the one who gave me the desire to invest not only in the family vineyard, but also for the community, in order to defend the colors of Chablis in France and in the world, and to make the vineyard evolve in the right direction,” said Bordet.
While learning to make wine, Bordet studied and worked in both Beaune and the United States, not in a major wine region like California, but rather, Château Chantal in Traverse City, Michigan. During our chat, I also experienced firsthand his love for all things Chablis, including the wines, the best and, most surprising, meal pairings, and places to visit and dine.
Bordet also shared a recipe, Gougères (Choux Pastries) with Comté Cheese.
The wines — and the food
An important characteristic of Chablis is that most wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel, not oak barrels.
“The classic technique is maturing on lees in stainless steel tanks but in a horizontal vat to increase the exchange surface between the wine and the lees. Aging on lees is an important stage in Chablis,” said Bordet.
Regarding the limited use of oak barrels, he noted, “there is some usage on Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru. But depending on the climate, or on the vintage, the winemaker can decide whether to use barrels. Most of the time the use of wood does not mark the aromas of the wine, it plays more on its structure.”
The wines in this tasting were fermented and aged on the lees in stainless steel except for the William Fèvre.
Bordet said Chablis works so well with a variety of dishes because “The purity of Chablis wines facilitates food pairing. Chablis wines beautifully highlight dishes without overpowering them. Pairings should not be limited to the traditional Chablis such as fish and oysters, as these wines can reveal incredible sensations when combined with goat cheese, meats, and poultry.”
— 2019 Jean-Marc Brocard Petit Chablis
As Petrullo Campbell said during the conversation, the Petit Chablis is a wine “about which one does not have to think too hard.” With its crisp and clean mouthfeel, youthful fruitiness, and lively acidity, it is ideally served as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to tomato-based dishes, shellfish like mussels and oysters, goat cheese, and brunch fare like omelets and quiche.
— 2019 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Vieilles Vignes de Sainte Claire
This Chablis revealed similar characteristics to its sister Petit Chablis, but with more depth, acidity, minerality and a lingering finish due to the intensity of fruit harvested from vines with an average age of 70 years and the wine spending an additional month aging on the lees.
— 2018 Domaine Séguinot-Bordet Chablis
One of Bordet’s wines and a vintage older than the previous sample, this wine revealed its maturity by way of its lovely floral and stone fruit aromas and flavors, accompanied by gentle yeastiness and a fine vein of minerality and acidity from start to finish.
For the two Chablis wines, Bordet suggested fish pairings like cod, sashimi, salmon, sea bass, and trout, as well as tandoori chicken, blanquette de veau, terrine, and even smørrebrød, a Danish open-faced sandwich that, according to Saveur Magazine, typically includes rye bread, a fatty base like butter or avocado, then topped with smoked herring, boiled egg, and/or fresh produce.
— 2018 Domaine Séguinot-Bordet Chablis Premier Cru Fourchaume
The grapes for this wine come from vines that are 45 to 60 years old, which were fermented and aged on the lees in thermoregulated stainless steel tanks. It was magnificent, with pronounced floral aromatics and an intricately woven palate of acidity, minerality, and salinity. “The saltiness of the wine complements caviar, seafood, or shellfish,” Bordet said. “Enjoy it with oysters (Fine de Claire, warm with tarragon), sea urchin (natural, soufflé), stuffed crab, crawfish in savory butter sauce, lobster in a warm unctuous sauce, and scallops (tartare, warm, puff-pastry).”
— 2017 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons
This wine stood out from the others due to its aging process. Approximately 40% to 50% of the vintage’s harvest spent five to six months in French oak aging on the lees, then was finished in stainless steel tanks. This Premier Cru from one of Chablis’ best recent vintages was elegant and refined, boasting an ample mouthfeel and enduring finish. “The purity, sophistication, and nobility of this Chablis Premier Cru is a perfect match for a wide range of flavors like poultry and veal in creamy sauces, andouillettes, snails, or cooked oysters,” Bordet said. “It is ideal with hard and Époisses de Bourgogne. But it is also wonderful with warm asparagus, rabbit, crab, scallops, and poached fish.”
Bordet’s Guide to Chablis
For places to visit, he recommends:
— The Obédiencerie at Domaine Laroche, including a tasting. The cellars date from the 9th to 12th centuries.
— Chablis Vititours, a viticulture tour and lecture.
— Balade des Grands Crus, a walk on the Chablis Grand Cru hill.
— La Chablisiènne Co-op, a virtual reality winery immersion experience with an itinerary for children.
— Domaine Alain Geoffroy, with its vine and corkscrew museum.
— Les Caves de Crémants de Bourgogne Bailly Lapierre: Fifteen minutes from Chablis by car, this cellar was originally a stone quarry during the Middle Ages. When excavations ceased, it became a place for mushroom cultivation from 1927 until the 1970s, then a wine cellar with a surface area of four hectares (9.88 acres).
— Au Fil du Zinc
Located in the heart of the village on the waterfront, this restaurant’s menu includes seasonal meals prepared with local ingredients. The wine list showcases Chablis and Burgundian wines.
— Hostellerie des Clos
Chef Guillaume Collet and his team prepare classic Burgundian dishes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. The restaurant’s wine list includes 900 wines – including 400 from Chablis – specially selected by sommelier Thomas Charlut.
— Les Trois Bourgeons
The French-trained Japanese owners serve cuisine that reflects the seasons and the ingredients of Chablis. The menu includes traditional Burgundian dishes as well as some of their own creations.
Gougères (Choux Pastries) with Comté Cheese and Salad
Jean-François Bordet
Chef’s tip: “You can also add bacon or vary the cheese in your gougères, like Beaufort or Swiss Gruyère, for example.”
Wine pairing recommendation: “A Petit Chablis with a bright, fruity nose and mineral- and acid-driven palate that will complement both the gougères and salad.”
Gougères:
3 oz. butter
10 fluid oz. milk
1 pinch of salt
1 turn of the pepper grinder
6 oz. flour
4 eggs
6 oz. grated Comté cheese
1 egg for the glaze
1 pinch of ground nutmeg
Salad
1 red onion
1 oz. walnut halves
6 oz. white grapes
1 bunch of chives
2 fluid oz. white balsamic vinegar
4 fluid oz of olive oil
Salt, pepper
1 curly endive
To make the gougères:
Preheat the oven to 370 degrees.
In a saucepan, heat the milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and the finely chopped butter. Bring to a boil.
Turn off the heat and add all the flour. Return to a low heat and stir vigorously until the mixture no longer sticks to the saucepan.
Turn off the heat and allow to cool.
Add the four eggs, one by one, mixing well after each egg.
Add the grated Comté and mix.
Put the mixture into a piping bag. Squeeze into the desired shape on a baking tray greased or covered with baking paper.
Prepare the glaze by brushing the top of each pastry with the beaten egg.
Place in a preheated oven at 370 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove the pastries from the oven when they are puffy and golden.
For the salad:
Wash and spin the curly endive, retaining the tender and crispy parts.
Peel and finely chop the red onion. Wash the grapes and dice finely. Crush the walnut halves and finely chop the chives. Put the onion, grapes, chives and walnuts into a bowl. Add the vinegar and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Pour on the olive oil and mix.
Serve the gougères on flat plates accompanied by the salad dressed with a good spoonful of vinaigrette.
Watch now: Séguinot-Bordet.: The film
Elizabeth Smith is a freelance contributing writer for the Napa Valley Register and Napa Valley Life Magazine as well as a social media and communications specialist.