CHATEAU GRENOUILLE CHABLIS GRAND CRU 2022

LA CHABLISIENNE CHÂTEAU GRENOUILLES CHABLIS GRAND CRU 2022

Style Summary

A concentrated, structured Grand Cru Chablis from La Chablisienne’s historic Château Grenouilles estate.

The 2022 Château Grenouilles combines ripe citrus and orchard fruit with anise, mineral notes, and restrained vanilla and spice. The palate has considerable depth but remains fresh, finishing with tension and persistence.

Already approachable with air, but built for further development in the bottle.

Region / Grape / Style

Region: Chablis, Burgundy, France
Appellation: Chablis Grand Cru
Grand Cru: Grenouilles
Vintage: 2022
Producer: La Chablisienne
Cuvée: Château Grenouilles
Grape: 100% Chardonnay
Soils: Kimmeridgian Clay-Limestone
Vineyard: Approximately 7.2 Hectares
Vine Age: Approximately 40 Years
Exposure: South-West
Vinification: Tanks & Oak Barrels
Malolactic Fermentation: Yes
Aging: Approximately 14 Months on Fine Lees in Tanks & Barrels
Style: Dry Grand Cru White Burgundy

Château Grenouilles

Grenouilles is the smallest of the seven Chablis Grands Crus, occupying a privileged position on the right bank of the Serein between Vaudésir and Valmur, directly facing the town of Chablis.

La Chablisienne has an unusually important relationship with this vineyard through its Château Grenouilles holding, a contiguous vineyard of approximately 7.2 hectares.

The vines average around 40 years of age and are planted on classic Kimmeridgian clay-limestone, with a predominantly south-western exposure.

This combination produces Chardonnay with considerable concentration while retaining the acidity and mineral structure necessary for long bottle development.

Vinification

Following cold settling, both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place in a combination of tanks and barrels.

The wine then matures for approximately 14 months on its fine lees, again in both tanks and barrels.

The objective is not simply to add oak character, but to build texture and allow the concentrated Grand Cru fruit to develop additional breadth.

Tasting Profile

Nose:
Initially restrained, with lemon, citrus and subtle anise. With air, ripe orchard fruit becomes more apparent alongside vanilla, gentle spice and mineral notes.

Palate:
Concentrated and balanced, with ripe fruit supported by fresh acidity. The mid-palate has considerable volume, while the mineral structure prevents the wine from becoming heavy.

Structure:
Medium to full-bodied, with greater concentration and depth than the Premier Cru wines. Oak and lees aging provide texture, but acidity remains central to the wine's structure.

Finish:
Long, tense and persistent, with citrus, spice and mineral notes.

Summary

Château Grenouilles occupies a distinct position within La Chablisienne’s portfolio.

It is not simply another bottling from the Grenouilles Grand Cru. The Château Grenouilles holding represents approximately 7.2 hectares in one contiguous vineyard, situated between Vaudésir and Valmur on the principal Grand Cru slope.

The 2022 combines the natural generosity of the vintage with the structure expected from the site.

Ripe fruit and barrel-derived texture give the wine considerable presence, but its acidity, mineral character, and persistent finish remain the defining elements.

This Chablis is meant to evolve rather than simply deliver immediate freshness.

Vintage Notes

2022 was a warm and relatively generous vintage in Chablis, producing Chardonnay with good ripeness and concentration.

Château Grenouilles nevertheless retains freshness and tension.

The youthful profile combines citrus and ripe fruit with anise, vanilla, and subtle oak-derived notes. These elements should integrate more with bottle age.

As the wine develops, expect the primary fruit to move toward preserved lemon, baked apple, and dried citrus, accompanied by hazelnut, beeswax, oyster shell, and savory mineral notes.

Drinking Window

Drink: Now–2040+
Preferred Window: 2028–2038

The 2022 can be opened now, but it is still a young Grand Cru Chablis.

If you prefer more fruit definition, acidity, and structural tension, you can drink it today. Open the bottle about 45–60 minutes before serving and let it develop gradually in the glass.

For a more integrated expression, I would prefer to wait until approximately 2028 onward. By then, the fruit, acidity, lees character, and oak should have had additional time to come together.

Between roughly 2030 and 2038, the wine should begin showing a more mature balance between remaining fruit and secondary notes of hazelnut, beeswax, dried citrus, oyster shell, and savory spice.

Well-stored bottles should continue developing into the 2040s, although individual storage history becomes increasingly important over longer periods.

Serving Temperature: 11–13°C

In practical terms: drink now for concentration, fruit, and tension; hold another 3–6 years for greater integration and secondary complexity.

Food Pairing

The concentration and texture of Château Grenouilles allow considerably richer pairings than a younger village-level Chablis.

Recommended Pairings:
Osetra Caviar · Lobster · Langoustines · King Crab · Scallops · Turbot · Dover Sole · Sea Bass · Salmon · Roast Chicken · Veal · Morels · White Truffle · Comté

The Tasting Room Recommendation

Pair with lobster, langoustines, or turbot with a restrained butter or shellfish sauce.

The wine has sufficient concentration for richer preparations, while its acidity and mineral structure provide the necessary freshness.

For an elegant but simpler pairing, Osetra caviar would let the wine’s saline, mineral character remain at the center of the experience.

At this stage, however, I would avoid serving it excessively cold. 11–13°C and a large Burgundy glass will reveal substantially more of the wine than conventional Chablis service straight from an ice bucket.

Among the La Chablisienne wines in this selection, Château Grenouilles 2022 should be treated as much a cellar wine as a drinking wine. It is already accessible, but its structure suggests greater complexity with additional bottle age.