We’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: Chablis offers the very best quality-to-price ratio in all of Burgundy. This Daily Discovery—a tiny production, Premier Cru from Francine Bachelier—just happens to be the most perfect example yet of how, and why, this renowned region manages to squeeze so much deliciousness, for relatively little money, out of the chalky limestone hills of Northern France. Francine and her husband, Olivier, run Domaine Savary, which is his family name, but both contributed inherited parcels to their estate. Each vintage Francine selects tiny amounts of what she deems the best vats and bottles them under her name. That’s the secret, and it is how we can offer you a sublime, Premier Cru from the top notch “Vaillons” vineyard at a price that barely breaks $40. It’s a classic romp through crisp, sunny citrus and saline minerality, and it is the perfect white wine to have on hand all year long.
When Francine Bachelier and Olivier Savary joined forces—both romantically and financially—over 4 decades ago, they were young, but already seasoned grape growers. However, neither had quite enough vineyard inheritance or financing to immediately start producing their own wines. So they sold the fruit, saved their Francs, and eventually were able to cobble together enough land to start bottling under the Famille Savary label in the mid 1980s. Fast forward three decades and the estate is now a bona fide success, well respected in Chablis, the wine centers of Paris and Lyon, and right here in the U.S. It helped that non other than Jean-Marie Raveneau, the most revered vigneron in Chablis, introduced them to importer Kermit Lynch back in 1990 and, from there, the wines slowly began appearing on wine lists throughout the country.
Today Francine and Olivier are joined by their sons, Maxime and Mathieu, and they’re Savary label continues in its runaway success. However, there is no mention of “Savary” on the label of today’s discovery. That is because this is one of the small bottlings that Francine does under her family name. Every vintage she selects a few parcels, or vats, that she loves and sets them aside in her personal stash, destined to go to market as F. Bachelier, not Savary. Of course, this means the wines are very limited in production (less than 300 cases in total), but because they also have essentially no big name star power, they remain some of the most amazing values in a region that, as we’ve noted many times, regularly over delivers.
“Vaillons” is in the top tier of Premier Crus, and is famous for combining snappy, up-front fruit, silky texture, and classic oyster shell minerality. 2021 was a particularly great vintage to show off this special terroir, and not surprisingly, Francine bottled a total knockout under her label. Serve this über-classic at a cool 48-50 degrees in a nice Burgundy stem and you’ll be amply rewarded with notes of crunchy green apple, lime blossom, lemon zest, hazelnut, sea salt, and lemon curd. The sublime balance of silky, creamy texture, and super zippy acidity make this bottle both super easy to enjoy, and deliciously complex. Serve next to your favorite fresh fish, raw oysters, crab salad, or your favorite sashimi. It’s also a perfect white wine for those heavy, multi-dish holiday meals that are just around the corner. So stock up and you’ll be set for the rest of the year and beyond!
