Dom. Oudin Chablis

The Family... I hosted a wine dinner with the father-and-daughter winemaking team from Domaine Oudin. What nice people! I felt lucky to meet Jean-Claude and Nathalie, a talented duo of winemakers whose obvious passion for their native terroir shows itself in the desire to share a deliciously different version of their region's wine with the world. Chablis with flavors that seem to come from a past era.

The Land... The Oudin family live and work in Clichée, a village three kilometers south of Chablis. Jean-Claude and his wife Christiane returned from Paris in 1988 to breathe new life into her father’s small (then 2ha) estate. Today they plow their eight hectares of land, to improve soil health and eliminate the need for herbicides. As a fan of natural, chemical-free farming methods, I am sad to note that in the first decade of the 21st century, few growers in Chablis plow. It's easier to spray. The Oudin family’s eight hectares of vines are in south and southwest-facing hilltop sites, ideal for ripening fruit in this cool region of northern Burgundy.

The Wine... Oudin's current relaese shows a light, clean, more delicate side of Chablis; a promising start for Nathalie, who recently returned from school in Australia. It's nice to notice the mark of a confident winemaking hand, so clearly in command in her inaugural vintage. Surprisingly, no oak is used in the vinification of this wine. It's not nearly as nervy as most stainless fermented and aged Chablis. Both Oudins believe in using as little sulfur as possible in their winemaking. They also stick to natural yeasts for fermentation, and are organic in the vineyard and the cellar. Domaine Oudin is an estate that shows the best of Chablis, reaching this standard through careful, natural farming and attention to regional winemaking tradition. They manage to be a top estate without a single Grand Cru vine, and with limited human and financial resources. I am happy to see a family winery succeed in this way.