Domaine d'Henri Petit Chablis 2024
We have 10 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
Petit Chablis has a reputation as the appellation's leftovers, and the geology explains why the reputation is outdated. These parcels sit on the crowns of the hills, above the Kimmeridgian band that defines Chablis proper, on younger Portlandian limestone with chalky clay over the top. Historically that meant higher, rockier, colder sites that struggled to ripen in a marginal northern climate, which is exactly why the appellation was ranked below the rest. Warming has removed that problem. The fruit here comes from parcels in Chablis, Fye, Maligny, and Beine, with an average vine age over 30 years. Portlandian limestone gives less flesh and more cut than Kimmeridgian, and in a warm era that is an advantage rather than a limitation.
The Wine
100% Chardonnay, entirely organic, drawn 80% from the family's own vineyards and 20% from purchased fruit. Fermented and aged in stainless steel with no oak at any point, which is the correct decision for this tier: the appeal is the limestone and the acidity, and wood would only get in the way. Lemon, green apple, grapefruit pith, white flowers, and a wet-chalk minerality that hits hard on the finish, dry and tightly wound. 2024 was one of Burgundy's most difficult vintages in decades. Constant spring rain drove severe mildew pressure, flowering was uneven, and hail struck through July and August, cutting yields sharply across the region. What came through is marked by purity and transparency rather than weight, and Chablis whites in particular held up better than the reds further south.
The People
The Laroche family has been in Chablis since the 17th century. Michel Laroche took over the family estate in 1967 and built Domaine Laroche into a major business, then sold his stake in 2010, kept the vineyards he had personally inherited, and started over. He named the new project Le Domaine d'Henri after his father, and runs it with his wife Cecile and their children Margaux and Romain. The winery is deliberately small, sized to be run by one or two people most of the year. They vinify parcel by parcel with natural yeast, no fining, no filtration, and sulfur only at bottling. The estate first achieved organic certification in 2012 and has been fully certified organic again since 2022.
Food Pairing
Chablis and oysters is a cliche because it is correct, and this is the version to buy for it. Also excellent with fried calamari and lemon, goat cheese on toast with honey and thyme, or a simple roasted branzino with olive oil and herbs. The chalky minerality and hard acidity handle brine and shellfish directly, and the absence of oak means nothing gets in the way of delicate fish. Serve it cold, around 48 degrees.
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.
