Château Grenouilles, great wine of Chablis, France

Situated right in the heart of the Grand Crus, at the foot of the hillside known as “Grenouilles”, the Domaine de Château Grenouilles is unique and exceptional in Chablis. This plot of 7.20 ha (17.8 acres) has only one occupant; Grenouilles vines. With a magnificent south-west aspect, facing the village of Chablis, this vineyard produces the rarest of the Grand Crus. The result of two small plots of old vines, Château Grenouilles unites olfactory precision; purity of taste, harmony between strength and finesse in addition to a very long finish on the palate. Offering great keeping potential, it is the incarnation of a great Chablis wine and ambassador of the terroir.
The second wine of the Château, "Le Fief de Grenouilles" perfectly embodies the style of Grenouilles soil. Produced from vines aged more than thirty-five years old, it expresses the generosity, the harmony between the fullness and the elegance combined with the true mineral style of a Chablis Grand Cru.

The Grand Crus of Chablis are known to wine lovers worldwide as the “kings” of the appellation. Situated close to the village of Chablis and only on the right bank of the river Serein, they constitute an ensemble of 100 hectares (247 acres) mostly facing south-west. Their geographical limits are defined by the hillsides. Chablis Grand Cru wines have very powerful personalities that time can only amplify. They need at least five to eight years ageing in order for their character to begin to be unveiled as the cellaring potential is remarkable. The grapes from these seven Grand Cru plots are harvested and vinified separately by La Chablisienne in order to respect the different characteristics:

• Bougros: lively and mineral,
• Les Preuses: length and breeding,
• Vaudésir: fleshy and powerful,
• Les Clos: dry and mineral
• Blanchot: supple and aromatic,
• Grenouilles: elegant and fruity.

Château Grenouilles, the great wine

This represents just 30% of the total production of the Domaine. The grapes come from 2 plots having an average age of 50 years and a surface area of around 2 hectares (approx. 5 acres). Only the best juice is used to create the “heart” of Château Grenouilles, the press wines are almost always set aside.
The wine making and maturing is done at the very foot of the slope of Chablis Grand Cru Grenouilles, in the building known as "Le Château".
Oak barrels and small vats complement one another during slow maturing on fine lees. This may take up to 16 months following harvest in order to allow the character of the Grenouilles terroir to express itself alongside the particular personality of Château Grenouilles.
This wine has a rare, intense and complex bouquet, with aromas of fresh fruit, white flowers and spicy notes. In the mouth it is remarkably pure, fine and elegant, with an extremely long, mineral finish. A myth worth waiting for in the course of time.

Le Fief de Grenouilles

This wine perfectly embodies the style of Grenouilles soil.
Alone, this name accounts for the major part of the vineyard with plots having ages of more than 35 years, on an area of around 5 hectares (about 12.5 acres).
Sorting of the bunches (as necessary), pressing by degrees to obtain the juice, vinification and maturing on fine lees in oak barrels and small vats for 16 months make this “second” wine a Grand Cru among Chablis Grand Crus.

An ideal, uniform aspect, facing the rising sun, on a steep slope for the smallest of the Grand Cru vineyards of Chablis...
The vineyard plot named “Grenouilles” is found at the very heart of the hillside slopes known as “Coteau des Grands Crus” covering an area of about 100 hectares (250 acres). In such a situation it is therefore not surprising that this terroir has the reputation of being the fusion of the traditional characteristics of all the Grand Crus of Chablis. In this one wine we find the famous mineral style of Chablis with, of course, the consistency, the length and the power of a Grand Cru. A further characteristic of "Grenouilles" is its more flattering, less austere style which cannot be mistaken for any other Grand Cru in its first years of ageing in the bottle. It does however have the reputation of being somewhat capricious in its development, it will “open” and “close” as time proceeds.

Why the name "Grenouilles" (Frogs) ?
The lower part of the vineyard is adjacent to the river Serein that runs through Chablis and is a popular holiday camp for frogs.
This is therefore the smallest Grand Cru - in surface area - of the Chablis vineyards. It is squeezed between Vaudésir and Valmur. It has an ideal, uniform aspect, facing the rising sun, on a steep slope which softens in gradient as it climbs in altitude. The greatest part of the vineyard is taken by Château Grenouilles : 7.20 hectares (17.8 acres) in a total of 9.40 hectares (22.2 acres) .