Notes from the North Berkeley Imports:

"The river that runs through Chablis is aptly named: the Serine, a serene body of water as placid and perfect as the vineyards and sleepy villages that line its banks. Yet there is a new generation of grower here who is working to wake up this cool northern corner of Burgundy – for the better.

Romain and Damien Bouchard founded their winemaking estate only in 2016, yet they are the fourth generation of their clan to toil the classic and chalky, Kimmeridgian soils of Chablis. For generations, the family provided other winemakers with peerless Chardonnay fruit, pulled from impressive holdings in grand cru and premier cru vineyards, planted carefully by family hands.

Today these vines are in their prime, and with a passion to craft Chablis wines from living soils and healthy grapes, according to “simple and natural” methods and a good dose of “observation and patience,” the brothers – who call themselves “perfectionists” – have set a new, higher standard for the character-driven wines of Chablis.