Why visit
Chablis grows chardonnay on Portlandian and Kimmeridgian limestone. The River Serein runs through it, with cellar doors, boutiques and wine bars along its banks.
Chablis wines form a four-level pyramid: Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru and, at the top, Chablis Grand Cru. Chablis Grand Cru is a white-only chardonnay appellation and became an AOC on January 13, 1938.
The Grand Cru vineyards cover 100.89 hectares on the right bank of the Serein, northeast of the town. They are split into seven climats: Blanchot, Bougros, Les Clos, Grenouilles, Preuses, Valmur and Vaudésir. The vines grow at 100 to 250 meters on marls and Kimmeridgian limestones formed about 150 million years ago.
The Chablis area has been an official Vignobles & Découvertes wine tourism destination since 2012.
The Cité des Climats et Vins de Bourgogne has a site in the historic cellar of Petit Pontigny, at 1 bis rue de Chichée. Its visitor trail takes about 45 minutes, and the €9 ($10) ticket, or €6.50 ($7) reduced, includes a wine tasting or grape juice. The Cité's other sites are in Beaune and Mâcon.
Visiting the estates
La Chablisienne and Domaine Laroche take visitors by booking. Simonnet-Febvre welcomes visitors for tastings during its opening hours, and Brocard's Discover tasting runs on-site or by reservation.
Tastings in and near Chablis| Estate | Visits | Tasting from |
|---|
| La Chablisienne, Chablis | Booking | €6.50 ($7) |
|---|
| Maison Brocard, Préhy | Walk-in or booking | €7 ($8) |
|---|
| Domaine Laroche, Chablis | Booking | €30 ($32) |
|---|
| Maison Simonnet-Febvre, Chablis | Walk-in, guided visit by appointment | — |
|---|
La Chablisienne, at 8 boulevard Pasteur, dates from 1923. All its formulas are by reservation, in French or English. The 45-minute Discovery tasting covers 4 wines, one from each level of the pyramid, for €6.50 ($7).
Longer formulas at La Chablisienne include Initiation to Wine Tasting, about 1 hour 30 minutes with 5 wines, at €12 ($13). The Terroir costs €27.50 ($30), and the Prestige, 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes with 6 wines including two Grands Crus, costs €35 ($38).
Domaine Laroche runs its tasting tours at L'Obédiencerie, a former monastery founded in the 9th century and listed as a Historical Monument. The Tasting Tour lasts 1 hour 30 minutes for 1 to 6 people at €30 ($32).
The Laroche Prestige Tasting Tour, at €75 ($81), covers cellars from the 12th to 17th centuries and a 13th-century press, with Premiers Crus, Grands Crus and an old vintage. The boutique is at 10 rue Auxerroise. The historic cellars have limited access for people with reduced mobility.
Maison Brocard has its cellar on the route de Chablis in Préhy. The Discover tasting of 3 cuvées takes about 45 minutes and costs €7 ($8). Its pairings with charcuterie or cheese last about 1 hour 30 minutes, cost €15 ($16), take at most 10 people and must be booked 48 hours ahead.
Maison Simonnet-Febvre receives visitors for tastings in its shop and vaulted cellars at 9 avenue d'Oberwesel. A visit of the cellars followed by a guided tasting is by appointment. Ask about the fee when you book.
When to go
La Chablisienne and Simonnet-Febvre receive visitors all year.
La Chablisienne opens Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from January to March and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April to December. On Sunday it opens 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., then 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. from January to March and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. from April to December.
Simonnet-Febvre opens Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The Cité visitor trail opens from March 1 to November 5, Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Chablis holds a market every Sunday morning, and the Fête des Vins de Chablis celebrates the new vintage every autumn.
Before you go
- Book the Laroche Prestige Tasting Tour at least two weeks ahead. The tour does not run in January and has restricted visits during the harvest.
- La Chablisienne's Terroir and Prestige formulas need a vehicle to reach the vineyards, and its Wine and Gastronomy formula must be booked 48 hours ahead.
- Spit as you taste, and choose a designated driver.
Chablis has no railway station. Trains from Paris-Bercy reach Auxerre-Saint-Gervais, 20 km away, in about 1 hour 45 minutes. Tonnerre is 17 km away and Laroche-Migennes 32 km. Rent a car at the station. By car from Paris, leave the A6 at exit 20 (Auxerre Sud/Venoy) and follow signs for Chablis, 10 km. For the rest of the region, see Burgundy.
