Domaine d'Henri Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume 2023

Le Domaine d'Henri is the Chablis estate of Michel Laroche — whose family has owned vines here since 1695 — and this Fourchaume comes from roughly 3 hectares of mature estate parcels (Vaupulent, Fourchaume, and Homme Mort) within one of Chablis's top premiers crus, right beside the grand cru slope. The 2023 was hand-harvested and sorted, fermented on indigenous yeasts on fine lees, then raised for 22 months across 600-liter oak (about 30%) and stainless steel; the estate now farms organically, with certification pending. Fourchaume is the plump, more generous of the great premiers crus, and it shows: full-bodied and structured, with Chablis's signature crushed-shell salinity and cut wrapped around riper orchard fruit and a subtle creamy, brioche edge. Serious, age-worthy premier cru from old vines and a pedigreed name — Chablis with both flesh and tension.