The vineyards of Chablis are considered part of Burgundy, but in reality the region’s vines lie roughly halfway between the Côte d’Or and the most southerly plantings of champagne vines.

The wines of Chablis are made from the Chardonnay grape, but this is Chardonnay as seen nowhere else in France or, indeed, the world. In Chablis we find ourselves in what are just about the most northerly latitudes for fully ripening grapes for use in still wine. Sure, champagne is grown and made further north and a high percentage of those vineyards are planted to Chardonnay, yet champagne is essentially made from unripe fruit; just try tasting the base wine for this most famous of sparkling wines and you will find out just what a shrivelled thing your tongue can be.

Here in Chablis are produced Chardonnay wines far removed from their rich, concentrated cousins 80 miles to the south in the celebrated appellations of the Côte de Beaune. Chablis is a lively wine, a laser-guided steely dart of crisp Chardonnay fruit. Indeed, young Chablis sometimes comes across like immature Riesling, so incisive can it be; incisive and loaded with mineral expression.

A large part of the character of the wine of Chablis is down to the climate, but at least as important a role is played by the soils of the vineyard. Chablis lies at the southern edge of an ancient basin that was, 180 million years ago, filled with sea water and the denizens that frequent such environments. Thus Chablis’ soil is chalky clay filled with the limestone fossils of pre-historic bivalves. It is the gentle lapping of the vine roots at this antique geology that supplies the essential character of the wine: that of stony, chalky, mineral complexity.

Patrick is not Chablisien, a fact that has, perhaps, enabled him to arrive in the region with eyes unclouded by the cataracts of tradition. He is Quebecois and reached Chablis in 2000 having been introduced to wine by one of the Chapoutier clan. That followed a stint back in Montreal during which he opened and ran his own wine bar. It evidently was not long before Patrick decided that he would prefer to be responsible for what’s in the bottle, rather than in simply pouring the stuff into the glasses of punters.

Since arriving in Chablis, Patrick has worked for some of the appellation’s top producers, including Jean-Marie Guffens, the iconoclastic owner of Verget, as well as Olivier Leflaive and, latterly, as cellar master for Jean-Marc Brocard.

Patrick now runs his own negoçiant business. He hunts out old vines and from them makes wine that he considers best showcases the specific terroirs of its origins. The plaudits have been quick in coming. Robert Parker states that, “Tasting his 2008s offers striking reminders of just how much unrealized potential there is in Chablis…” and speaks of “…the high quality he has achieved in his inaugural vintage (2008)”. Similarly, Jancis Robinson says that “It's always a thrill to encounter a promising new producer…” and that “…the quality of his wines suggests he certainly knows where the best vine roots are buried…”.