More about the Charly Nicolle 2022 'Les Fourneaux' Ante MCMLXXX Chablis: The 2022 Charly Nicolle ‘Les Fourneaux’ Ante MCMLXXX Chablis comes from one of the appellation’s most distinctive Premier Cru vineyards, set on the sun-bathed slopes southwest of the village of Chablis. Les Fourneaux—named for its “furnace-like” exposure—captures more warmth than most sites, allowing Chardonnay to ripen with an intensity of fruit that still carries the crystalline precision for which Chablis is revered. In this bottling, the fruit is drawn exclusively from vines planted before 1980, old roots that dive deep into Kimmeridgian limestone and clay, yielding a wine of remarkable concentration and mineral depth. At the helm is Charly Nicolle, a sixth-generation vigneron whose family has farmed these hills for generations. His commitment is to authenticity: meticulous vineyard work, strict yields, and winemaking that preserves terroir above all else. Fermentation and aging take place in stainless steel, with a restrained hand on oak, ensuring that the wine’s voice is that of its site rather than its cellar. The result is a Chablis that feels both luminous and grounded, with the energy of youth and the gravitas of age-worthy structure. In the glass, the 2022 Ante MCMLXXX Les Fourneaux shows the hallmarks of its Premier Cru origin: aromas of white flowers, orchard fruit, and citrus zest carried on a backbone of chalky minerality. The palate is layered yet precise, opening with ripe pear and lemon oil before giving way to saline tension and a long, stony finish. It is a wine of contrast—sun-kissed fruit and cool mineral restraint—capturing the essence of Chablis while offering an intensity and refinement that only old vines can deliver. This is a bottle that invites both contemplation and pleasure, destined to impress now and for many years to come.