Domaine Passy Le Clou Petit Chablis 2023

Petit Chablis is the appellation’s freshest, most pour-it-cold expression, and Passy le Clou’s version is a benchmark. The Descombes family farms two hectares for this cuvée in a slightly cooler corner of Chablis, on Portlandian limestone (a touch younger and fruitier than the Kimmeridgian soils that produce the Grands and Premiers Crus). The vines are young, the wine is bottled bright and unforced, and the result is exactly what an apéritif Chardonnay should be: citrusy, lifted and built for a tray of oysters. 2023’s warm, ripe character adds a little extra flesh without sacrificing snap.