2024 Christophe et Fils Chablis 1er Cru Montee de Tonnerre

Sébastien Christophe built his estate from half a hectare in 1999 to 30 hectares across three Premier Crus, and Montée de Tonnerre has become the wine the domaine is best known for. It's no surprise given the site: widely regarded as Chablis's finest Premier Cru, sitting directly adjacent to Grand Cru Blanchots.

The heavy limestone marl soils here are what give the wine its character. Compared to the deeper soils of Mont de Milieu, this is more gravitational, more structured, built around amplitude and intensity rather than fragrance and finesse.

2024 was a difficult vintage in Chablis weatherwise, but the wines came through with their typical cut and verve intact. This shows crystalline purity, serious depth, and the kind of impeccable balance that comes from a great site in the hands of a careful winemaker. Sébastien vinifies his subplots individually, sometimes running a dozen separate vats within one cuvée, and that precision shows in the result.

Approachable now, but put some away. It will be better for it.