From the Fey area, on the right bank of Chablis, a new addition to the Wine Terroir Selection that speaks several languages of Chablis, all united by the skilful touch of Sébastien Christophe
Our first encounter with Sébastien's estate was love at first sight; a hunch was already telling us he was "the one".
The first time we spoke, on the phone, the very first thing he asked was where we had found his name and how we had come across him. Disarming. Indeed, if you know nothing about Sébastien, a question like that from a producer might well catch you off guard. But, as Sébastien himself explained shortly afterwards, the reason was quite simple: Sébastien is first and foremost a vigneron in the strictest sense, and he would rather be working in the vineyard and the cellar than promoting himself. Quite literally: he has no website, his only social media presence is a private account (where, incidentally, he posts plenty of bottles that aren't his own, namely the ones he drinks), and he takes part in very few trade fairs, events or award ceremonies around the world – and that was true even before Covid put a stop to them for everyone.
Despite all this, he went on to tell us, his entire production almost always sells out quickly, finding its way into the most exclusive markets around the globe – but not Italy.
And it is from this last point that our relationship with Sébastien began. But let's start at the beginning, with Sébastien and Domaine Christophe et Fils.
A little history: Sébastien and Domaine Christophe in Chablis
Sébastien Christophe, born in 1975, comes from a family deeply rooted in the winegrowing and farming fabric of the Chablis area. A farming family which, as is often the case, did not make wine from its own grapes but sold them to the large bottlers: simply a means of making a living, like any other agricultural activity.
In 1999 everything changed when Sébastien, having completed his oenology studies, returned home intent on making wine himself. He started with a small family parcel, just over half a hectare of Chardonnay on the flat land given over to Petit Chablis. This was the beginning of his rise, under the name Domaine Christophe.
Over the years his craftsmanship was honed, and the number of bottles produced grew as he acquired new plots at different altitudes and in different lieux-dits. In time, his uncles – his father's brothers (his father owned the family estate before him) – entrusted him with further plots, again planted with Chardonnay, including a vineyard dating back to 1959, in his grandfather's day.
Sébastien Christophe at work in the vineyard during the winter months
Domaine Christophe today: a focus on sustainability and tradition
Today Sébastien farms almost 30 hectares in total, with production ranging from 120,000 to 150,000 bottles depending on the vintage. Of these, around half (75,000 on average) each year are Petit Chablis, a wine that for Sébastien marked the start of it all and which he is determined to champion.
On top of this comes the vinification of all the other parcels devoted to his various Chablis wines. From the essential village Chablis to his Vieilles Vignes, made by separately vinifying his grandfather's vines that are over 60 years old.
These labels are now joined by three different Premiers Crus: Fourchaume, Mont de Milieu and Montée de Tonnerre. These Premiers Crus account for a small fraction of production, just a few thousand bottles in all.
Almost all of Domaine Christophe's production is now HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) certified, but for Sébastien the certification itself counts for little. Right from his early years, he tells us, his philosophy has always been to respect his land, his vines and their fruit, so that nature itself would repay the value of his work. So, in the vineyard as in the cellar, every intervention is dictated purely by necessity, never by choice, in order to avoid needless manipulation and remain as faithful as possible to the terroir of Chablis.
Finally, since we also drink with our eyes... We couldn't help falling in love at first sight with his labels, every bit as elegant as his wines.
Domaine Christophe et Fils, Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2019
Wine Terroir Srls is the exclusive importer and official Italian distributor of the wines of Domaine Christophe et Fils.
For more information, write to us at info@wineterroir.it
