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Domaine William Fèvre Winery Guide

Winery Overview

If one name in the Burgundy region is synonymous with superlative, long-lasting Chablis, it is undoubtedly William Fevre. The domaine has assumed the leadership of Chablis – offering both consistently excellent quality and significant quantity. Today, they have become the go-to outfit for wine lovers searching for the quintessential Chablis characteristics of power, minerality, and unrivaled finesse. Indeed, for many, Chablis offers the finest and most ‘nervy’ expression of the Chardonnay grape, grown in the special Kimmeridgian clay terroir, which gives the wines that purity of expression and mineral core. The domaine, although no longer under family control, has continued to improve its game, investing much time into understanding its unique terroir and insisting on adherence to strict quality controls of manual harvesting and rigorous grape selection. And with a formidable portfolio of vineyards, including many of the most renowned Premier and Grand Crus, William Fevre is an estate that can cater to every possible desire, no matter how demanding the connoisseur!

The domaine has a long and proud history of Chablis production, with William’s late father, Maurice, belonging to a family who had lived in the region for over 250 years. His father was an important grower after the Second World War, and William continued this tradition by founding Domaine de la Maladiere in 1959. Since then, William tirelessly built up both his vineyard holdings and the domaine’s reputation, investing heavily in the 1970s in new buildings and the latest technology. He has always been a powerful voice in the region and campaigned vigorously in the 1980s and early 90s against further expanding the Chablis vineyards. But after many decades of invaluable contribution towards maintaining Chablis’ great name, Fevre retired in 1998 at 67 and sold the business to the Champagne house Henriot.

Joseph Henriot and his formidable team have thankfully continued the Fevre philosophy of pursuing quality bar none. Today, William Fevre produces some of the finest wines in the domain’s history. Under the careful direction of maestro winemaker Didier Seguier, oak is being put to the most judicious use, enhancing each Cru’s character but never overwhelming it. He is also a great proponent of organic viticulture and practices biodynamic grape growing in an ever-increasing number of their vineyards. The result? Wines of amazing purity, concentration, and power, with the Grand Crus exceptionally long-lived and worthy of critical acclaim. The standout hallmark is excellent terroir definition; although working alongside many other great producers, William Fevre is setting the benchmark for top Chablis. Simply put, this is a classy estate producing very classy wines.

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Author

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James lawrence

With a passion for food & drink that verges on the obsessive, wine writer James Lawrence has traveled the world in search of the perfect tipple. To date, nothing has surpassed the 1952 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Reserva, tasted in the cobweb-filled cellars with owner María José. Meanwhile, James has been writing for a wide variety of publications for over 12 years, including Telegraph, Decanter, Harpers, The Drinks Business, and Wine Business International. He lives in South Wales and returns to his former university city, Bilbao, as much as possible.

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