Does Chablis Age Well?

It is true that not all white wines age well. However, those which have been stored in the right conditions can evolve into a greater wine.

Whether or not a wine is age-worthy depends on a bunch of different factors– some natural and others decided by the winemaker. Though red wines are typically thought to be what to drink with some years on them, white grapes with pronounced acidity will stand the test of time better than others. One white wine that is its best with some age is Chablis.

Chablis is the largest wine region in Burgundy, but it’s actually closer to parts of Champagne than the Côte d’Or (the backbone of Burgundy). That’s to say, it’s way up north, and the cool climate leads to lean, light-bodied wines that taste tart and acidic like green apple and lemon. Another reason why Chablis benefits from a couple extra years of age is that it’s often grown on chalky soils, and due to the high levels of acidity produced from grapes on these soils, it remains super fresh and delicious at even 15 years of age. Chablis’ soil is also laced with millions of oyster fossils from when the area was covered in seawater a really long time ago.

While this wine can occasionally taste like a lemon sour patch kid upon release, with a few years it can evolve into a subtly savory, salty, and refreshing drink. Like a pair of new jeans, after some time, Chablis is the best version of itself.