Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 2023 750ml

Our third outing for a Chablis Grand Cru in our Best in Show selection, but it’s the first for a vintage in the 2020s, and the first for a Bougros, too (our previous picks have come from Valmur and Les Clos). The Co-Chairs remarked on the relative generosity of style of this 2023 example, but that’s almost a truism for the Grands Crus today; what marked this wine out from its peers was the fact that the beloved ‘sour’ note to the fruit (praised by Hugh Johnson fifty years ago) is still clearly apparent here, as is the textural depth and interest that marks out all the best Chablis, whether from Premier or Grand Cru sites. A classic, then – but also a welcoming Grand Cru Chablis, one with a wide smile. It has as much deliciousness as it does finesse, and this is a vintage best enjoyed before too long rather than stowed away for your children. (Best In Show) – DWWA 2025

• Country: France
• Region: Burgundy
• Appellation: Chablis
• Size: 750ml
• Color: White

Varietal

Chardonnay

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.