Gilbert Picq, Chablis En Vaudecorse 2018

The wines are naturally fermented and raised in stainless steel tanks to protect the underlying expressions of terroir. You won't find a single stave of wood in the entire winery. Pascal Picq does severe pruning each winter and routinely thins the crop twice in the summer months. The serious work in the vineyards can be felt immediately in the Picq wines, as even the Chablis villages and the old vine cuvee offer up a depth and intensity of flavour in the mid-palates that is most often associated with at least premier cru level wines. The estate does not own a large spread of vineyards, which may also account for the exceptional quality of their Chablis bottling.

Located in the village of Chichee, southeast of Chablis proper, the Picq family has farmed its small collection of vines for several generations. Today, the estate is in the deft hands of Gilbert's two sons Didier and Pascal, and his daughter Marilyn Picq, each with their defined roles: Pascal is in the vines, Didier is in the cellar, and Marilyn manages the business. The Picq style of Chablis is classic, with the inimitable expression of minerality that the chardonnay only picks up in these rolling hillside vineyards of the Yonne Valley, coupled with racy acidity and fine depth that comes with low yields, meticulous winemaking and fine parcels of vines.