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Wine Tasting Adventure

2022 Domaine Soupé, Chablis 1er Cru `Montée de Tonnerre` - Liberty

£36.99 GBP
£36.99 GBP

Domaine Soupé, run by brothers Frédéric and Jean-Michel Soupé, is a relatively new Chablis domaine that only recently started bottling. Although the domaine is new, the Soupé family have owned and farmed vineyards in Chablis for three generations. The brother's maternal grandfather was the 71st grower to join the ‘La Chablisienne’ cooperative winery founded in 1923. Frédéric and Jean-Michel left the cooperative in 2018 to create their first vintage as Domaine Soupé.

Jean-Michel oversees Domaine Soupé’s 16 hectares of sustainably farmed vineyards, with 10.5 hectares in Chablis, 2.75 hectares in the 1er Cru ‘Montée de Tonnerre’ and a couple of hectares between the 1er Cru ‘Vaillons’ and Petit Chablis. The vines for their Chablis are between 28 – 31 years old and planted principally on south-facing slopes.

Frédéric is responsible for the domaine’s winemaking, seeking to produce wines which reflect their site. He uses indigenous yeasts and temperature-controlled, stainless-steel fermentation to retain the freshness and purity of the fruit grown by his brother. The Chablis spends six months on its fine lees in stainless steel, creating additional texture, before being lightly filtered and bottled. The final wine displays lively notes of citrus and stone fruit, enhanced by bright acidity and a saline finish.

The Chablis 1er Cru ‘Montée de Tonnerre’ hails from 2.75 hectares of 63 – 66-year-old vines. The vines are planted on west-facing slopes comprised of Kimmeridgian, marl and limestone soils, producing wines with a marked chalky character. Like the village Chablis, it is fermented in stainless steel before ageing for six months on its fine lees. The 0.09-hectare parcel of Chablis Grand Cru ‘Les Preuses’ sits at the top of the slope to the west of the Grand Cru strip. This westerly exposure ensures the vines receive the last hours of sunshine during the summer months. These vines are aged between 16 – 19 years old and are planted on a mix of Portlandian and Kimmeridgian limestone soils. The grapes are hand-harvested and begin fermentation in stainless steel tanks before completing both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in used oak 500-litre demi-muids. This ensures the oak is well integrated and lends texture without overpowering the wine.

The fruit for the 1er Cru 'Montée de Tonnerre' comes from 2.75 hectares of 63 to 66-year-old vines. The parcels lie on west-facing slopes on Kimmeridgian, marne and limestone soils, which produce wines with a marked chalky character. The majority of the fruit for the 2021 vintage comes from lieu-dit 'Chapelot' - a plot renowned for producing especially rich and complex fruit. A proportion of fruit two lieux dits renowned for producing wines with great freshness ('Pied d’Aloup' and 'Côte de Bréchain') is blended in to balance this richness.

2022 was a vintage that brought smiles back to Chablis winemakers and yields were around double those of the challenging 2021 vintage. After a milder and drier than normal winter, some spring frosts hit in March, fortunately damage was limited as buds had not yet burst in the vineyards. An exceptionally warm spring boosted growth with full flowering completed by the end of May. There was very little rainfall during the summer and disease pressure was low throughout the growing season. Some well-timed showers in August gave the vines a necessary boost to complete the final stages of ripening. The harvest took place in early September and the grapes harvested were of excellent quality. The wines produced have excellent balance, sustained by a vibrant acidity and an expressive fruit character.

Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were gently pressed in a pneumatic press, and the juice was allowed to settle. Alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeasts took place in stainless-steel vats at a constant temperature and malolactic fermentation occurred naturally. To add texture to the palate, the wine was aged on fine lees in stainless steel vats before being lightly filtered and bottled.

Bright yellow in colour, this wine is elegant with pronounced aromas of citrus fruits accompanied by subtle hints of acacia blossom. On the palate, the wine is elegantly structured with a tightly coiled acidity carrying the pronounced flavours onto the lingering finish.