Chablis faces a warming world

De Beru (left), who in 2016 lost her entire crop to frost, and her director of operations, Gaelle Ribe, on the family’s estate in Chablis, France. — ©2025 The New York Times Company

GOOD Chablis stands as the world’s most distinctive Chardonnay.

This conviction has long held sway among wine connoisseurs, reaffirmed by a remarkable bottle sampled during a visit to the region – a 2015 Montee de Tonnerre from William Fevre, one of Chablis’ esteemed producers.

The wine was saline and stony, akin to drinking liquid seashells.

This intriguing profile reflects the terroir, as Chablis’ finest vineyards rest on Kimmeridgian limestone bedrock interspersed with fossilised shellfish.

Vocoret, an organic farmer who makes Chablis, had to resort to conventional methods to save his crop when confronted with catastrophic levels of mildew in 2024, in his cellars in Chablis, France. — 2025 The New York Times Company

Brocard, who believes Chablis must have more biodiversity in a vineyard near his family’s winery, in the village of Preby, not far from Chablis, France.

Chardonnay, cultivated virtually wherever wine is made, has yielded numerous excellent expressions.

Yet no other Chardonnay replicates the singular mineral tang of Chablis, despite marketing claims from wineries across the globe boasting “Chablis-like” qualities.

The secret lies not just in its soil but in the entirety of its terroir – geology, climate, topography and centuries-old viticultural practices.

Located in northern Burgundy, around 145km northwest of the region’s heart, Chablis teeters on the edge of where Chardonnay could historically thrive.

On a post is a chunk of Kimmeridgian limestone, which forms the bedrock in the Chablis region’s best vineyards. Chablis producers are struggling to stave off environmental threats to the wine’s distinctive character, owed to geology, climate, topography and the beliefs and practices of its vignerons. — 2025 The New York Times Company

Its vignerons long struggled with cool temperatures that produced sharp, angular wines.

But today, climate change threatens this delicate balance, raising questions about Chablis’ future identity.

Visiting producers in November revealed a consensus: climate change poses a formidable threat.

However, rising temperatures aren’t the primary concern.

Instead, it is the increasingly frequent extreme weather events – hail, spring frosts, torrential rains and prolonged droughts – that jeopardise the health of vineyards.

“The weather has become much more aggressive and violent,” said Julien Brocard of Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard, one of Chablis’ largest estates.

He noted that repeated climate disasters have weakened the vines.

“Chablis becomes just Chardonnay if the vines aren’t healthy. Our work is to maintain minerality, freshness, and acidity. It was once easy; now, it’s harder.”

Brocard, who began working with his father in 1997, has embraced organic and biodynamic practices.

Wines from biodynamically farmed grapes, such as the 2022 premier cru from Vau de Vey, exhibit purer, deeper textures and precision.

Yet challenges persist – 2024, for instance, began with frost and hail, followed by months of unrelenting rain, leading some vignerons to abandon organic methods to combat mildew.

“Many in Chablis stopped organic farming in ’24 because mildew overwhelmed the vines,” Brocard said, adding that chemical sprays were sometimes necessary to preserve even part of the crop.

To counter these challenges, Brocard has joined a movement to diversify Chablis’ predominantly monocultural landscape.

He is planting trees, bushes, and cover crops while allowing vines to grow taller rather than trimming them aggressively.

This approach aims to bolster soil health, prevent erosion, and fortify the vines against diseases.

“Naked soil is damaged soil,” Brocard emphasised. “Monoculture isn’t good. We have to accept losing part of the vineyard territory.”

His goal is to plant 30,000 trees over the next decade and inspire neighbouring vignerons to adopt similar practices.

Eleni and Edouard Vocoret, a husband-and-wife duo producing fresh, characterful wines outside Chablis, were among the organic farmers forced to revert to chemicals in 2024.

“Financially, I couldn’t sustain it,” said Edouard.

“The bankers don’t care if you’re organic. You want to stay organic, but you have bills to pay.”

The Vocorets founded their small estate to pursue organic farming and craft exceptional wines, a departure from Edouard’s family’s larger conventional estate.

Yet the changing climate has left them uncertain about future strategies.

“Change rootstocks? Grow vines taller? There’s so much we don’t know,” Edouard admitted.

Athenais de Beru of Chateau de Beru shares similar concerns.

Her estate, centred around a 13th-century chateau, has practised biodynamic farming for 15 years.

However, climate change has disrupted once-predictable growing seasons.

“The vineyard awakens three to four weeks earlier than before,” she explained, leaving young plants vulnerable to spring frosts.

In 2016, frost wiped out her entire crop, prompting her to rethink pruning techniques.

“The whole cycle of the vine is disorganised. Fermentations differ, and we pick earlier. But if you pick at the right time, you can still make Chablis.”

Despite the challenges, recent vintages from Chateau de Beru remain outstanding.

The 2022 Cote aux Pretres, crafted without sulphur dioxide, exhibits a saline, finely structured profile, while the 2021 Clos Beru offers freshness, energy, and marine-like complexity.

Adaptation has become a recurring theme among Chablis producers.

Didier Picq of Domaine Picq in Chichee noted that the region’s climate now resembles that of Macon, 215km southeast, 15 years ago. Yet his wines retain Chablis’ characteristic tension and raciness.

“The vines can adapt,” Picq said.

“The wines are easier to drink now, but will they age well? We don’t know. What’s right today may not be right tomorrow. You have to be humble and listen to the plants.”

Didier Seguier, director of Domaine William Fevre, shares cautious optimism.

Fevre, which suffered a 90% crop loss to mildew in 2024, farms organically and biodynamically.

The estate invested roughly US$100,000 per hectare in 2004 to install electric cables to warm young shoots during frosts – a significant expense but ultimately more sustainable than traditional candles.

“It was expensive but economical,” Seguier explained.

“In the long run, it’s cheaper and more sustainable.”

Despite their size and financial resources, Fevre shares a common goal with smaller producers: preserving Chablis’ unique character.

Seguier believes that the region’s terroir and Kimmeridgian limestone give it a critical advantage in facing climate change.

“Kimmeridgian is stronger than vintage,” he asserted.

“Our location and soil keep the freshness, salinity, and minerality in our wines.”

As Chablis vignerons adapt to an unpredictable climate, their commitment to preserving the essence of this remarkable wine remains unwavering.

Whether through organic practices, biodynamic farming, or landscape diversification, they continue to demonstrate resilience in safeguarding Chablis’ identity for future generations. — ©2025 The New York Times Company