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William Fèvre

William Fèvre made his mark in Chablis with Domaine de la Maladière, an estate which he founded, bringing in his first harvest in 1959. He was not, however, completely new to viticulture; his father was already a well-known and respected vigneron. Nevertheless it was William who cemented the reputation of the family name in the region, and also aboard, where he was a tireless campaigner for Chablis. He was instrumental in the battle against the extension of the boundaries for the Chablis appellation, which he would have restricted to only those vineyards sited on the classic Kimmeridgian rocks of the region. Looking beyond France's borders, he fought hard for the restriction of the use of the word 'Chablis' to describe any wine which did not come from that region of France. This was a particular problem in the up and coming wine-producing countries of the New World, particularly the USA, where the term was used to help sales of any dry white wine, regardless of its lack of resemblance to true Chablis.

Fèvre put a similar amount of effort into the development of his own domaine. He instigated practices to combat the famous frosts of the region, which play havoc with a vineyard's productivity. Quality was paramount, with hand-harvesting, careful selection and use of oak maturation (a contentious issue in Chablis) being the norm. The vast majority of Fèvre's wines were exported, and sold well, and this enabled him to invest further in the region. The domaine became the single largest owner of Grand Cru vineyard sites, with vines in every one bar Blanchots, together with a good number of Premier Cru holdings and many hectares of straight Chablis.

The wines were not, of course, universally acclaimed; his preference for oak was perhaps the most contentious issue, an issue that saw many consumers turn away from the domaine. In 1998 there came a turning point; despite his obvious dedication to the region, it would seem that William Fèvre did not wish to remain rooted in Chablis forever. During this year he sold the domaine to Henriot Champagne, who had control over other famous names in Burgundy such as Bouchard Père et Fils, and from this vintage onwards the domaine has been run by the Bouchard winemaking team. It is my opinion - based on my tastings of the Fèvre wines since this change of ownership - that as a result quality has improved. Meanwhile, William Fèvre has escaped to pastures new, principally Chile, although he is involved in wine producing ventures across several continents.

The William Fèvre holdings amount to 15.2 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards and 12 hectares of Premier Cru sites, all naturally at the heart of the Chablis vignoble, on soils that include the typical Kimmeridgian, peppered with ancient marine fossils, together with marl and clay-rich lime. The majority of the top cuvées are sourced from these 27 or so hectares, and these wines are denoted by the term Domaine written over the William Fèvre script on the label (as on the right-hand label above); the négoce wines, those produced from purchased fruit, do not bear this distinction (as with the left-hand label above). The fruit of the Fèvre vineyards is exclusively hand-harvested, and then transported in small crates to reduce the risk of damage to the tender grapes. They undergo a short pressing before the juice so released is fermented, some in vat and some in cask. Perhaps most importantly, the part once played by new oak has been drastically curtailed, and the wines bear a greater transparency as a result. There is also a straight Chablis, now in a very classic style and representing very good value in my opinion; the wine is sourced from 20 hectares of vineyards largely contiguous with Fèvre's Premier Cru sites. There is also Petit Chablis, sourced from 7.5 hectares of eligible vineyards above the Grands Crus, and Saint-Bris, the little known appellation local to the town of the same name which allows for Sauvignon Blanc.

My experience of the wines is fairly limited, and although I have visited Chablis, stopping in the town for a couple of days many years ago now, I do not consider myself a Chablis savant. I tasted many wines during my sojourn in the town, however, and I had no difficulty in enjoying the wines with dinner each evening; that is a characteristic of the wines that is easy to spot! Good examples have freshness and acidity, and with greater maturity they show a honeyed complexity that must surely be unrivalled by any other appellation. The wines of William Fèvre, although perhaps not on the very top tier of Chablis producers, are clearly of this sort of quality, and they are excellent wines for dining now that the oak influence has been so drastically reduced. (24/4/02, updated 6/3/08)

Contact details:
Address: 21, avenue d’Oberwesel, 89800 Chablis
Telephone: +33 (0) 3 86 98 98 98
Fax: +33 (0) 3 86 98 98 99
Internet: www.williamfevre.fr

William Fèvre - Tasting Notes

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William Fèvre Chablis 2006: A very typical pale hue with a glint of green. It has an attractive and expressive minerality, steely yet with a presence of ripe, white fruits wrapped around this harder core, with a leafy, nettly outer wrapping. Fine structure, ripe fruits, nicely rounded out but with a little backbone of grip and very decent acidity. A little lacking in substance and character perhaps, especially through the midpalate, and the 2005 was undeniably superior. But good, and a worthy buy nevertheless. 16/20 (March 2008)

William Fèvre Chablis 2005: A good colour, tinged with green, typical of the appellation. The nose is delightful, full of honeysuckle and fresh green apple character, but just tinged with little nuances of honeyed fruit. A fine presence on the palate, showing a fresh mineral acidity. backed up and rounded out by some juicy white fruits. There is a full, pleasing body which is maintained through the midpalate, all underpinned by a firmly assembled structure. A lovely, fresh, sappy, juicy, minerally wine which freely exhibits its origins, and is lovely for it. It even has a little persistence on the finish. Very good indeed. 17/20 (May 2006)

William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Montmains 2005: A lovely colour with a classic green tinge. The nose has a leafy green freshness with notes of creamy greengage and a little subtle vanilla pod. Broad, well defined palate, very nicely structured with a little grip. A good depth and a midpalate presence. There is a slightly mealy texture to the finish. An attractive character. It is already giving pleasure but no doubt will offer more over the coming years. I would leave alone for a couple at least. 17-17.5+/20 (March 2008)

William Fèvre Chablis 2004: A pale, green-tinged hue suggests nothing out of the ordinary. For straight Chablis, however, it has a gorgeous nose; clean, mineral, precise, with floral-tinged stones fruit and an oh-so-subtle buttercream hint. Fresh, full, sappy, with beautiful mineral style on the palate, it has precision, balance, freshness and acidity, but a great savoury feel in the mouth. Rather short on the finish - but no more than you would expect with this appellation - and it delivers, with has no shortage of typicité. This is very impressive for the appellation, and merits a heady 17/20 (October 2005) Label

William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Montmains 2004: A pale, green-tinged wine. Very crisp, fresh nose, with a grassy, greengage element and a little vein of potential richness. This opens out to reveal more classic, mineral character. Good body on entry, moderately full, a little spice-tinged acidity, which develops a peppery sharpness through the midpalate. Some good, very typical chalky minerality comes through with some time. This has definition and is certainly food-friendly, and is streets ahead of the 2003. Very good wine. 17+/20 (March 2006)

William Fèvre Chablis 2003: A good colour for a basic Chablis. On the nose it offers up aromas of ripe pear and white nectarine, with elderflower and vanilla pod nuances. A nice, ripe, flavoursome palate, quite full and fresh, although acidity is on the low side. Notes of quinine and stone here. It displays the ripeness of the vintage with a toffee twist on the finish. Very enjoyable. 16/20 (August 2004) Label

William Fèvre Chablis 2002: A pale lemon-gold wine, reflecting the cool climate. Very classic on the nose, which has lean mineral aromas. With time it develops richer notes, although appropriately these are mere nuances, of honeydew melon and butterscotch. Fresh acidity, medium body and a little grip on the palate, with restrained, stylish mineral fruits. As it warms in the glass it develops a more open, warm, flavoursome character on the palate. A classic, ripe Chablis. Lovely. 16.5+/20 (October 2003) Label

William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Montmains 2002: A crystal clear wine, with a really appealing nose, with notes of apple skin, lemon pith and minerals. The palate starts off cool and defined, with a nice flavour, although rather primary and even uptight at first. It has more flesh through the midpalate, although it always shows a good structure beneath it all. Firm, composed, just revealing a little trace of caramel towards the end, the first sign that this might be relaxing into a more appealing secondary stage. It is a great vintage and this will be lovely drinking in the future, but hold off for a year or two yet I think. 17+/20 (March 2008)

William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Montmains 2002: A very similar hue to the 2000. But quite different on the nose; this is more restrained, although it is still showing some lovely, primary, citrus-mineral fruit. This youth is evident on the palate, which is a lot tighter than the 2000, but obviously dripping with potential. This has the substance and the structure to blossom in the cellar. Very good indeed. Needs 4-5 years in the cellar. 17.5+/20 (October 2005)

Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte Bouguerots 2002: This wine reveals a delightful sequence of aromas, firstly nutty, then mealy and nutty. It has an evocative style, and despite its youth does not seem to tightly wound up on the nose, although neither is it unexpectedly relaxed or open. The palate is finely resinous, flavoursome and nicely composed. A slightly chalky, peppery quality comes in at the finish, and overall this is really very good indeed. The persistent, lightly honeyed finish carrying little fleeting complexities, of toffee and ginger, is a sure sign of greater pleasures to come. Although generally regarded as a lesser vineyard amongst the grand cru sites, this is still an impressive wine. 17.5+/20 (March 2008)

William Fèvre Chablis 2000: A pale wine. Some classic elements on the nose, namely lemony, flinty fruit. This is combined with hints of complexity, bare touches of roasted nuts and a mealy, honeyed oak. Clean and fresh on the palate, with minerals and more lemony fruit, but with a rounded edge to the texture. There are a few flavour components suggesting that a small portion of the wine has seen some oak. Nevertheless these components add interest without distracting from a classically styled Chablis. 15.5+/20 (April 2002)

William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Montmains 2000: The nose here is giving off quite a lot of typical character here, with a broad minerality which is backed up by just apparent nuances of development, the little notes of honey, fresh vanilla, acacia and flower blossom that precede the richer, more caramel-like tones of full maturity. The palate is coming round too, a little honeyed and vinous, but still fresh with an appealing and slightly bitter grip. Well bonded together despite the obvious evolution here. I think this will be great for drinking over the next year or two. 17+/20 (March 2008)

William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Montmains 2000: A green-tinged hue. An aromatic nose, showing plenty of typicité; good mineral and stony Chablis character. The palate is a fine combination of attractive body, mineral-infused flavours and balanced acidity. The quality from William Fèvre these days is exceptionally good. Very pleasing, classic Chablis, drinking well now. 17.5/20 (October 2005)

William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Côte de Léchet 1998: A pale, golden wine. A wonderful nose, full of character. Austere fruit, with intertwined honeycomb, oiled wood richness and flinty, mineral notes. Great palate, with a wonderful balance immediately apparent on entry. It really fattens up through the midpalate, with a superb honeyed, mealy rich quality coming through on the finish, and a full texture to match. Fine acidity. 17.5+/20 (April 2002)

William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 1998: Very pale colour. The nose is quite intense, yet has a restrained feel to it. This is quite an achievement, as it bears rich aromas of honey and pineapple, with an oatmealy edge. Similarly impressive on the palate, with elegant structure and acidity, and firm layers of mineral fruit, which are initially very tight and take some time to open out. There's a complex and mealy feel to it all, with the suggestion of some oak influence. With some aeration this wine is approachable now, but will benefit from further bottle age. Drink 2005 onwards. 17.5+/20 (April 2002)

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