We decided to gamble and taste the 2022 Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume Cru Lamblin & Fils, contrary to the producer’s recommendation to cellar it for 3 to 10 years before popping the cork. Did our gamble pay off? Read on to find out.
Lamblin & Fils Story
It was a bald move on our side to ignore the advice from the Lamblin family, who have made wine for over three centuries in this region.
Set up in Maligny, Lamblin et Fils is among the oldest Domaines in the Chablis region of France. The first mention of the family in this area dates back to 1690.
In 1890, Louis Lamblin, with the help of his son, Henri, a vintner and merchant, made his first move in the wine trade. Henry worked on the trade union lift of the vineyard and was involved in drawing many laws regulating wine appellations.
In the 1950s, Henry’s son Jacques made Lamblin an international brand. In 1987, Michel and Didier Lamblin continued the family tradition. While Michel is primarily responsible for administrative and management duties, winemakers “love so much,” and Didier leads the winemaking team.
2003 marked the arrival of the 12th generation at the winery with the arrival of Clement (Didier’s son) upon completing viticulture and oenology studies in Beaune. Clement quickly demonstrated that he was more than a winemaker’s son by winning the 17th Annual Young Talents trophy two years later.
The same year, Alexandre (Michel’s son) joined the family, ensuring the continuation of winemaking traditions that started three centuries ago.
2022 Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume Lamblin & Fils
In the Bottle
While the experience passed through generations certainly has its advantages, in France, the winemaker plays second fiddle to terroir, a place where grapes come from. Terroir determines the quality and price of the French wine pyramid.
2022 Chablis Premier 1er Cru Fourchaume is just one step below the Grand Cru Chablis region’s top and most valuable wines that can cost hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars, making it one of the world’s benchmark Chardonnays. The grapes for this wine came from Fourchaume, one of the top Premier Cru sites located near the Grand Cru vineyards.
The vinification takes place in stainless steel tanks to preserve the characteristics and minerality of the Chablis terroir. Following the fermentation, it’s aged 6 months on fine lees (tiny particles, a byproduct of yeast) to add texture and creaminess.
In the Glass
So, was our gamble worth it, or were we better off following the winemaker’s advice and waiting at least till 2025 to taste it?
2022 Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume hardly met our expectations, but in a good way. Known for its crisp and sometimes bone-dry acidity, Chablis typically needs time to mellow acidity, merry the flavors, and reveal its full potential. It’s seldom an early bloomer.
Still, it was already very satisfying with its classic Chablis minerality, crisp acidity, flinty minerality, and lemon and apple flavors. We expected it to be more angular, yet it was balanced with apple crossing to Asian pear and having tropical melon notes. The flinty minerality was there, yet it hardly got in the way of enjoying fruity and even more subtle flowery aromas. It instead underscored them.
We paired it with roasted pork tenderloin and Pecorino Romano to keep acidity in check with fat and salt in this young Premier Cru Chablis. It helped to bring the fruit forward. Yet, we found ourselves sipping Fourchaume on its own like we would if it was much older.
Aftertaste and Conclusion
Considering that this wine is in its infancy, it’s like a charming “toddler” that everybody smiles when they look at her. What she lacks in complexity, she makes up with youthful grace.
We agree with a Maker of 2022 Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume Cru Lamblin & Fils: it needs another two to five years to grow into a sophisticated Premier Cru Chablis that sets the standard for other Chardonnays of the World to aim for. Still, we are happy that we opened this bottle now and look forward to tasting it again and again. After all, it impressed us so much that we ran to the store to get a case before it was gone.
Finally, let’s talk about the quality-price ratio. Generally speaking, 1er Cru hits the sweet spot from budgetary considerations: a worthy expense considering its second place in the Chablis quality pyramid, character, and surprising intrigue from bottle to bottle.
In the case of Lamblin’s 2022 Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume, it’s an incredible bargain under $30.
Would you be curious to compare it to the 2015 Chablis Premier Cru Butteaux?
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