DOMAINE bessin-TREMBLAY - CHABLIS

An architect turned winemaker in one of France's most famous appellations, Jean-Claude Bessin has made a name for himself as one of the most discreet and talented winemakers in Chablis. 

With his wife Evelyne, Jean-Claude took over his father-in-law's vineyards and founded his own estate in 1992. Previously, the family's harvest was sold to cooperatives and wineries in the region.

Today, the estate, located north of Chablis in the small town of La-Chapelle-Vaupelteigne, has 12 hectares of vines in the appellation villages, Premier Cru (Fourchaume, Montmains, La Forêt) and Grand Cru (Valmur). The soils of their parcels – a mixture of limestone, clay and prehistoric marine fossils rich in minerals –  are all of Kimmeridgian origin, which make Chablis Chardonnay so famous and different from any other region in the world.

Using only natural yeasts for the fermentation of his wines, Jean-Claude ages his wines in a combination of neutral oak barrels and stainless steel tanks for an extended period of 18 months on the lees. The moderate use of wood allows the wines' natural acidity to shine through. It is this long aging process that produces Chablis with a texture, finesse and length that truly place them at the apex of this appellation. 

"Jean-Claude Bessin and his son Romain produce some of the best wines in Chablis... This estate really deserves to be talked about more, as it is one of the top half dozen estates in Chablis" - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

Year after year, the estate gets some of the highest scores from famous wine critics, but Jean-Claude and Romain remain very humble and modest. Their wines are without a doubt the best Chablis we have ever tasted and we are delighted to be the exclusive importer of Jean-Claude and Romain Bessin in Quebec.