100% Chardonnay

Food pairings: Dungeness crab, grilled shrimp, oysters and other shellfish, grilled fish, poultry, soft cheeses and charcuterie.

Winemaking: Henri Costal is a joint project between Romain Collet's family domaine in Chablis and importer Kermit Lynch, with a custom label and a custom vinification and bottling made exclusively for the American market. The grapes are pressed in a pneumatic press and cold-settled, and the wine ferments spontaneously with native yeasts. For the 2023 vintage it was raised in stainless steel for about ten months, then spent three months in 600-liter demi-muids before bottling. At Kermit Lynch's request the wine is neither fined nor filtered, nor cold-stabilized.

Vineyards and terroir: Les Truffières is a single plot in the village of Villy, in the northern reaches of Chablis, named for the truffle oaks that once grew there. Planted in the early 1990s on Portlandian marly limestone, it has been farmed organically since its planting, with organic amendments only and mechanical tillage for weeding and plowing. The site gives a Chablis at the generous end of the spectrum, with fleshy fruit, a stony core and ample body.

Family and history: The story began in 1920 with Henri Costal, who farmed his vines organically. His daughter Janine married Jean Collet, and their son Gilles, Romain's father, carried on the family vineyards; today Henri's great-grandson Romain Collet tends the vines and makes the wines, and Domaine Henri Costal has been united with Domaine Jean Collet, the historic vineyards of Romain's ancestors. After a single barrel tasting, Kermit Lynch, who has imported Raveneau since 1979, asked to work with Romain on the Costal cuvées.

In the pictures: Hand-harvesting Chardonnay; and harvest in the vineyards (photos courtesy of Henri Costal).