The San Francisco Chronicle published an interesting article a few weeks ago about the California wine industry’s little-known secret: few of its winemakers seem to drink California wine.
So what are the professionals drinking? Burgundy—and tons of it. Somms and winemakers across the state are selling you California, while drinking all the good French Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. If you go to dinner at someone’s house in the CA wine business, you’re likely drinking Chablis or Savigny-les-Beaune.
Here’s the other dirty little secret about the California wine industry: many restaurants and retailers keep their top Burgundy allocations for themselves, rather than make them available to their customers.
Not at Mission, however. We’re not hoarding the Burgundy. In fact, we’re hunting out the harder-to-find, small production farmers so that you can drink something delicious and rare, yet affordable, and be excited about that experience.
Enter Alain & Cyril Gautheron, sixth generation farmers and winemakers located in Chablis who manage a tiny 25 hectare domaine with 15-55 year old vines planted in coveted Kimmeridgian soil, composed of fossilized sea creatures from thousands of years ago (it helps the grapes retain acidity and zest). Their wines are remarkable, and yet still within reach due to their insider status.
Cult Chablis winemakers like Dauvissat or Pinson sell their basic labels for $90+ a bottle, while even more reasonable producers like Fevre are at least $40 just to get in the entry level door.
To find a top quality Chablis for less than $30 these days—one that sings of lemon peel, oyster shell, and supreme salinity—requires diligence. Few selections these days give you that mineral drive, and that’s because they’re likely produced by large brands who purchase bulk wine and blend it for scale.
Yet, we’ve managed to bring in the 2022 Gautheron Chablis for just $27.99…AND…we’ve added in their stellar Bourgogne Blanc for just $21.99. Both wines represent everything we look for in Burgundian Chardonnay: depth, complexity, minimal oak aging, hands-on farming, and incredible grace. The only thing missing is the crazy price tag.
We don’t have much to offer, but you can be certain that we’re offering what we have and not keeping it in the back for our employees! **While the new 2022 vintage releases have yet to be reviewed, the Gautheron wines consistently receive 90+ point scores from Vinous, Suckling, and Parker—**you can easily look them up!
2022 Alain & Cyril Gautheron Bourgogne Blanc $21.99
Composed entirely of Chardonnay from vineyards around Chablis, this rustic and old school expression is a far cry from the milder, and rather tame Bourgogne blanc selections we find on the market these days. Crisp stone fruits, snappy acidity, fleshy fruit on the mid-palate, and a mineral tang on the finish. It’s like you’re sitting at a Parisian bistro getting a glass of the local stuff, rather than settling for the supermarket options in America.
2022 Alain & Cyril Gautheron Chablis $27.99
Using the 15-55 years old parcels across all 20 hectares of vineyards, Alain crafts this complex and calculated expression with elegance and style. Few straight Chablis wines offer this caliber of quality for less than $30. The quintessential flavors are clean and focused from the first sip: oyster shell, lemon, stone fruit, and a classic chalky minerality on the finish.