Chardonnay, Famille Ventoura Petit Chablis

bright │ mineral │ citrus

A bright, lime-laced Chablis that feels like someone took a sugared grapefruit, snapped it in half, and let it drip across crushed stone. It’s racy without being severe, salty without being austere, and has that classic ‘how-is-this-Chardonnay’ freshness that Petit Chablis does so well. The 2022 vintage gives a little extra generosity on the mid-palate, but the finish still flicks you with citrus and chalk.

Grown on Portlandian limestone at higher elevations around the village of Fontenay-près-Chablis, the grapes stay cool enough to keep every ounce of that laser-beam acidity. Fermented and aged in stainless to preserve the snap and purity you’re here for; nothing oaked, nothing buttered, nothing even thinking about creaminess.

Domaine Ventoura is a small family estate run by Thomas Ventoura, who really just wants to make clean, mineral-first Chablis that tastes like the ground it came from. Mission accomplished.

And just because it’s Petit Chablis doesn’t mean it’s ‘petit’ anything. The only thing small here is the appellation area — not the personality.