In 1923, a number of growers in Chablis – many of them first world war widows – banded together to create a cooperative winery, hoping to withstand the financial difficulties of the time. Come the 1950s, the winemakers at La Chablisienne (translated as the “Women of Chablis”) wanted more control over the end product. Instead of wine being delivered by local growers, the must arrived at the winery.
La Chablisienne only work with growers who provide 100% of their crop, to ensure quality levels remain high. The fermentation and the maturation take place either in thermoregulated stainless steel vats or in 228-litre oak barrels.
Today this premium cooperative is made up of approximately 300 vineyard owners farming some of the oldest sites in France. La Chablisienne’s vineyards encompass 25% of the entire region, at around 1,200ha, which includes the likes of inimitable Grand Crus such as the only chateau in Chablis, Chateau Grenouilles. One of the rarest Chablis Grand Crus, it forms an unbroken plot of 7.2ha, exposed on a South-West slope and facing Chablis village.
