Eleni and Edouard Vocoret Chablis Bas de Chapelot 2024
We have 2 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
Summer Shipping Advisory: Orders may be temporarily held during periods of extreme heat to ensure wine arrives in optimal condition.
View current shipping weather map →
The Land
The premier cru boundary above this vineyard was drawn where the hill stops, not where the soil changes. Bas de Chapelot is a 3.2 hectare village-level lieu-dit that sits immediately below Montee de Tonnerre, on the right bank of the Serein northeast of the town of Chablis, and it is the only right-bank parcel Eleni and Edouard Vocoret farm. The rock underneath is the same Kimmeridgian marl that makes the slope above it famous. What changes is the depth: the clay and limestone lie thicker here on the flatter ground at the foot of the slope, which gives the vines more water to draw on in a dry year and a rounder mid-weight in the glass. The tradeoff is cold air pooling off the riverbed, so this is among their most frost-exposed sites.
The Wine
Chardonnay from vines planted around forty years ago. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation both run in stainless steel with native yeasts, after which the wine spends about a year in old barrels, is assembled in tank, and goes into bottle unfined, unfiltered and with minimal sulfur. No new oak, no lees stirring for effect: the texture comes from time rather than technique. Then there is 2024, the hardest Chablis vintage in years. April frost ran the candles and wires, a highly localized hailstorm hit on May 1, and the region took 27% more rain than average, nearly eight inches of it in May alone. Flowering dragged on for weeks and mildew pressure was relentless, which punished organic growers hardest and cut some yields to a fraction of normal. Picking began around September 19 with clean, low-botrytis fruit. The wine is taut and high-toned: lemon pith, green apple skin, chamomile, crushed oyster shell, a chalky mid-weight and a long, salty finish.
The People
Edouard Vocoret and Eleni met during the 2010 harvest in New Zealand and came back to Chablis in 2013 to take over a 3.3 hectare slice of his family's holdings. The Vocoret name has been in Chablis since the mid-19th century, and Edouard's inheritance in 2023 brought the domaine to roughly 10 hectares across village lieux-dits, six premier crus and three grand crus. They farm organically without pursuing certification, apply biodynamic principles, and have planted fruit trees through the vineyards to build biodiversity. The cellar work is deliberately restrained, and the wines read as Chablis first and as a producer's signature second.
Food Pairing
Start with a dozen cold oysters and nothing but a lemon wedge, because this is Chablis and the shell and the wine come from the same seabed. Move to sole meuniere finished with brown butter and parsley, where the acidity cuts the butter without flattening it. A warm goat cheese tart with thyme on flaky pastry works against the chalky texture, and a bowl of mussels steamed with shallots, white wine and creme fraiche is the weeknight version of the same idea. Buy two: one to open now, one to forget about for five years.
We ship wine to most states with a $100 minimum order for shipping. We don't ship spirits nor beer.
Weather shipping advisory: Orders placed during times of extreme heat or extreme cold will be held for no charge until more favorable weather returns.
Chablis, a village and region in northern Burgundy, is all about Chardonnay, making arguably the best unoaked versions in the world. The wines here are defined by a crisp acidity and a strong mineral backbone. The area's unique Kimmeridgian limestone soil, packed with marine fossils, gives the wines a distinctive flinty edge. One slope overlooking the village holds the seven Grand Cru vineyards, while Premier Cru sites are scattered along both sides of the Sereine River, which cuts the region in half. Chablis is the ultimate destination for highly mineral white wines.
Burgundy - Chablis
Chardonnay, one of the world's most versatile and beloved white grape varieties, showcases a remarkable spectrum of styles, from the lean, mineral-driven expressions of Chablis in France to the rich, buttery, and oak-aged versions from California's Napa Valley. Its adaptability extends to cooler climates such as Burgundy, where it achieves elegance and complexity, and to regions like Australia's Yarra Valley, known for producing vibrant and fruit-forward renditions. This grape's ability to reflect its terroir, coupled with winemaking techniques, results in a wide array of profiles, including unoaked, crisp varieties with apple and citrus notes, to full-bodied wines with tropical fruit flavors and creamy textures.
