Guillaume Vrignaud

Guillaume Vrignaud is a grower-producer in Fontenay-près-Chablis, working 14 hectares of clay-limestone soils in and around the village. Chablis at this level, made by a committed small producer rather than a large négociant, is a different thing from the generic versions that flood the market: tighter, crisper, more saline and altogether more interesting.

The straight Chablis is made without new oak, which is the right call for this style. It shows the piercing green-apple and flint character the appellation is known for, with the kind of freshness that comes from cool soils and careful winemaking. An honest, well-priced Chablis from someone who knows their patch of ground.