Gilbert Picq Chablis '22

Since 1976, the Picq brothers—sons of Gilbert—have expressed the terroir of far northern Chablis with a timeless style. Domaine Picq is in the tiny village of Chichée, just southeast of Chablis proper. From steep limestone-laden vineyards, the wines show a quintessential sea-shell-like flinty minerality from the terroir and are known for their bracing and mineral-focused style. Perhaps more distinctive though is their incisive acidity, attributed to the extreme northern climate, as well as reduced yields and a commitment to stainless steel for aging. The wines are cellar-worthy, and they are exceptional examples of their style.

The family currently works on various sites across 32 hectares at the village and premier cru levels. The winery is a case for the argument that truly amazing wines can be made from even more humble plots when given the utmost attention and care. In the vineyards, there is a strict pruning program in the winter and two debudding passes in the spring to drastically reduced yields—the resulting wines show fabulous concentration, length, and midpalate complexity. 

The wines are naturally fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel, and there is not a single barrel to be found at the domaine. As a result, the wines convey a sort of minimalism, an honesty in their self-expression, with a solidly structured finish. They are built for enjoying at the table or cellaring in the medium term.

This is nominally the entry-level Picq wine, composed of village-level vines, but it shows the complexity of a premier cru wine. From a collection of hillside vineyards, totaling 8 hectares with an average age of 20 years, all from the village of Chichée. Vibrant, fresh, and taut, it drinks well immediately yet has the density and structure to evolve beautifully.