Domaine William Fèvre
About Domaine William Fèvre
Founded and extensively developed by the eponymous William Fèvre between 1957 until his retirement in 1998, this Domaine’s wines are amongst the most sought-after and frankly exceptional in the entirety of Chablis, a region populated by more than its fair share of great labels.
A measure of the ambition and vision of the estate’s founding father, Fèvre began with a modest 7 hectares of Chardonnay vines spread across Chablis. By the time of his selling to Maison Joseph Heriot (of Champagne fame) in 1998, his eponymous Domaine was comprised of 48 hectares dotted around the very greatest Grands and 1er Crus.
The change in ownership heralded the arrival of Didier Séguier, previously of Bouchard in Beaune, a vigneron who has subsequently shepherded Domaine William Fèvre to new and breath-taking heights, building on the extraordinary work of its founder. Overseeing a continuation of practices such as pure hand-harvesting, Séguier is also working hard to shift the Domaine to fully biodynamic methods in order to extract the full potential of the exceptional terroir at his disposal. The most immediately noticeable development in these wines, however, is the reduction in new oak.
Always a controversial topic, especially in Chablis known for its crisp salinity and pure minerality, William Fèvre’s penchant for new oak drew as many detractors as ardent fans. Today, no new oak at all is used in the various cuvées, but rather Séguier utilises his former employers Bouchard as a supplier of one year old barrels to be used in a ratio of up to 80% for those Grands Crus which can take it.
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Burgundy | 1 | 93 (DC) | HK$1,975.00 | |||||
Decanter (93)Domaine wine with 50-year-old vines from a number of vineyards, including north-facing plots underneath Les Lys, north west facing opposite Vaillons and south facing around Troesmes, plus some mineral soils from around Chichée. Intense and driven, you can smell the Kimmeridgian. Great energy and focus. Spice on the finish, precise acidity. Will age for many years. Bottled just before the 2021 harvest. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 87-89 (VN) | HK$4,000.00 | |||||
Vinous (87-89)From purchased grapes, the 2020 Chablis Fourchaume 1er Cru is primal on the nose, offering grapefruit and light leesy scents and perhaps missing a bit of pedigree compared to the Montée de Tonnerre. The palate is saline on the entry, very citric and slightly bitter toward the finish, where I am seeking a little more substance. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 91-94 (BH) | HK$4,760.00 | |||||
Burghound (91-94)(from a .55 ha parcel). Firm reduction dominates the nose though wisps of citrus character can be discerned. In contrast to the Les Lys, here the much bigger-bodied flavors possess very fine density and obvious power on the sappy lemon rind suffused finish. This firm and serious effort will need to develop more depth but if it does this could well be excellent. (91-94)/2028+ |
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Burgundy | 1 | 95 (DC) | HK$3,200.00 | |||||
Decanter (95)Fèvre has three parcels in Montée de Tonnerre (its purest, most mineral premier cru): Chapelot, Pied d'Aloup and Côte de Bréchain, all facing different ways. Very precise, crystalline fruits, salinity, great acidity and a long, long finish. Will age beautifully, but great now. |
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Burgundy | 2 | 93 (DC) | HK$3,155.00 | |||||
Decanter (93)A wine from a selection of sites over 3.9ha in Butteaux, Forêts and Montmains. Butteaux is very cold and mineral, while Forêts is elegant and floral. Great precision and focus here, allied with crystalline citrus fruits on the palate. Shows density, but is also very fresh, with lovely mineral characters on the finish. A highly successful Montmains. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 94 (TA) | HK$3,595.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (94)Planted by William's father, these vines are now 55 years old. All the parcels here are on steep slopes. The scintillating nose starts with salted lemons and perky grapefruit peels. The wholesome breadth on the nicely weighty mid-palate vies with tingly acidity and creates a push-pull of ripe fruit and savory minerality from start to finish. 2023-2034 |
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Burgundy | 2 | 96 (TA) | HK$3,285.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (96)This wine hails from two parcels situated just across the road from the Serein river, each at a 52% slope. These bits were always included in the main Bougros cuv e until Didier came along in 1998. This cuv e has magical complexity – as ever – with incredible freshness and full-throttle flavor intensity. There is plentiful orchard fruit contrasted by wet stone freshness. The dense palate feel is counter-balanced by granular texture. For every push there is a pull. 2023-40 |
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Burgundy | 1 | 96 (TA) | HK$4,630.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (96)This wine hails from two parcels situated just across the road from the Serein river, each at a 52% slope. These bits were always included in the main Bougros cuv e until Didier came along in 1998. This cuv e has magical complexity – as ever – with incredible freshness and full-throttle flavor intensity. There is plentiful orchard fruit contrasted by wet stone freshness. The dense palate feel is counter-balanced by granular texture. For every push there is a pull. 2023-40 |
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Burgundy | 1 | 97 (TA) | HK$5,615.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (97)William's father planted these vines in 1947, 1948, 1950 and 1952. All are in the upper part of Les Clos. Their positioning simultaneously offers freshness and power. Yellow cherries, yellow tomatoes and summer herbs deliver a bold palate. It's a tsunami of flavor, and the structure is equally dominating. Give this time to harmonize further though it wouldn't disappoint if you sipped it now. 2026-45 |
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Burgundy | 1 | 95 (TA) | HK$5,715.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (95)From the heart of Preuses, this wine has density, glycerol, chewiness and tension that all make it clear this is a wine of consequence. In total, there are 2.5 hectares chez F vre, of which one is western-facing. Hence, there's lots of sunny vinosity with exuberant orchard fruits. The textured, chalky finish offers good grip. 2024-40 |
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