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Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
2023 Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume, Domaine William Fèvre

2023 Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume, Domaine William Fèvre

Chablis, Burgundy, France

Poised, mineral and quietly powerful, Fourchaume shows one of the more generous faces of Premier Cru Chablis. Green apple, lemon and white fruit sit alongside flint, oyster shell and fine floral notes, with the marl-rich soils giving the wine depth as well as freshness. There is real weight here, but the overall impression remains precise, cool and distinctly Chablis.

On the palate, it is medium-full and beautifully balanced, with citrus, green apple and saline minerality carried by bright acidity. A small proportion of French oak adds texture rather than flavour, while the long élevage brings polish and persistence. This is a strong buy for customers who want Premier Cru Chablis with more scale than the village wine, but still plenty of tension and food-friendly freshness.

For when: A seafood dinner needs Premier Cru Chablis with depth, minerality and polished restraint.

Pairs with: Oysters, crab, scallops, grilled sea bass, roast monkfish, chicken in cream sauce, Comté or mushroom dishes.

Fourchaume lies on the right bank of the Serein, directly continuing the Grand Cru slope and separated from Les Preuses by little more than a path. William Fèvre’s vines sit in the Vaulorent sector, one of the most highly regarded parts of the climat. The combination of sunny exposure, marl-rich soils and restrained cellar work gives the wine both power and classic Chablis minerality.

Whats in the bottle
Chardonnay 100%

Notable Awards
93 Points, James Suckling

£58.95 - £58.95
£58.95
£58.95 - £58.95
£58.95
Availability:
In stock

Domaine William Fèvre is one of the benchmark estates of Chablis, with family winegrowing roots stretching back more than two centuries. William Fèvre took charge of the domaine in 1959 and steadily expanded its vineyard holdings, building one of the strongest collections of Premier Cru and Grand Cru sites in the region.

The modern style has been shaped by Didier Séguier, whose approach centres on gentle handling, restrained oak and careful élevage so that individual vineyards remain clearly identifiable. The estate was also an early leader in environmental work in Chablis, adopting organic practices from 2000 and biodynamic viticulture across Premier and Grand Cru parcels from 2010.

Since 2024, Domaine William Fèvre has been part of Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite. For customers, Fourchaume is a particularly attractive Premier Cru because it combines the scale and richness associated with the right bank with the citrus freshness, salinity and mineral precision that define the domaine’s style.

The 2023 Fourchaume is made from 100% Chardonnay. Domaine William Fèvre farms 3.63 hectares in the Vaulorent lieu-dit, representing around 3.2% of the Fourchaume appellation. The vines face from south-east to south-west, capturing plenty of sunlight, while the relatively deep marl-rich soils give the wine its combination of power and mineral structure.

The 2023 season began with a mild, dry winter and limited spring frost damage. A hot May was followed by June storms, while summer warmth and rainfall accelerated ripening. Drier conditions in August slowed véraison slightly before an early September harvest delivered generous volumes of healthy fruit.

The wine is handled gently by gravity without pumping. After pneumatic pressing for around 1.5 to 2 hours and light static settling, fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel. Ageing lasts 17 months, with 25% of the blend spending five to six months in French oak before maturation is completed in small stainless-steel tanks. Alcohol is 13%, residual sugar is zero, and the wine is bottled under DIAM.

The result is a Premier Cru with green apple, citrus and white fruit layered over flint, oyster shell and persistent mineral freshness. The small oak component brings breadth without masking the vineyard, while the long ageing adds polish and length. It is excellent to drink now with seafood or poultry, but the concentration and acidity give it enough structure to develop further.