CHABLIS CHAMP👑 (PATTES LOUP X)

Source note: This post is adapted from Parched's May 12, 2026 newsletter

Hey,

Recently got served something blind that blew my mind. What made it even better? With a bit of guesswork I managed to name not only the region but the producer. Missed the vintage, but still a decent showing…

The wine was from Thomas Pico and there is something so unmistakable about his work. It got me thinking that I've never really given these wines the love they deserve, which is strange given they've been a staple on the shelves long before I was knocking around. Personally, I believe Thomas to be one of the most inspirational vignerons in Chablis. Perhaps wider Burgundy. Maybe all of France. The world? Too far? Probably not…

What makes these wines so singular is the very extended elevage. Initially a response to challenging vintages, this actually gave Thomas the encouragement to fully embrace giving all his wine plenty of rest. Everything now sees 36 months minimum on full lees. Yes, 3 years! I don't think anyone else in Chablis is giving their wines this much time to harmonise. Tell me if I’m wrong.

Here, organic farming still remains a large minority, with many growers, even famed ones, reliant on chemical spraying. I’ve even seen heralded newcomers turn their back on organics due to recent vintages being tricky. I shall mention no names. Thomas has taken the harder path. Unwavering, one that requires patience and plenty of hard work.

In 2006 he made his first wine under the Pattes Loup label, a nod to a lieu-dit inherited from his grandfather. Organic certification followed in 2009, and now things are fully biodynamic. He also learnt under local luminaries Alice and Olivier de Moor. In the vineyard he is extreme, employing serious agroforestry to combat the monoculture modern Chablis has become. Cover cropping is rife and everything done in house, even composting, with one person employed per hectare. That is DRC levels of vineyard management.

In the cellar, everything is hand-sorted for only the most perfect grapes. A mix of concrete eggs, barrels, foudres, and stainless steel are used. It’s then a long long long time on lees, no fining or filtration. Sulphur used sparingly if needed, and he is fully transparent about it on the label. What a king.

Vent d'Ange is the estate's flagship. Three winters on lees, no wood, just ceramic and steel. Signature Chablisien drinkability but with more texture and tension from that extended elevage. The citric fruit has dropped off, rendering an even more mineral and briny expression of those Kimmeridgian soils. Taut, layered, and unmistakably Thomas Pico.

The 1ers now see a whopping 48 months on lees plus a little old oak. Built for the ages, though impossible to resist in the short term. With a decant and a big glass, you can get early access without waiting half a decade. We've done a little extra ageing alongside Thomas to help these fall into a primed position for you all. YAY.

Beauregard is always the most approachable. SE-facing, rising to 300m, one of the highest and coolest 1ers in Chablis. Explosive, aromatically charming, with a lingering finish. The ‘20 is coming into a perfect place, with the ‘21 following close behind. Cutting and crystalline.

Butteaux, a superb left bank climat at the south-western tip of Montmains. Always a little tighter, but the ‘20 is now uncoiling nicely. Chalky, bitter bite, firmly citric and stone fruited. Just one left. The ‘21 carries extra cut and thrust, driving and divine from the cooler year. Love.

Finally, a new addition in Vaillons. When I saw Pico and one of the most revered 1ers in Chablis, I had no choice. The richest and roundest of the range, the 2022 vintage a little brasher but with purity and tension running through it. That elevage leaves an unmistakable imprint that is hard to shake once honed in on. Tiny quantities.

Watching this journey has been breathtaking. With the top wines now seeing four years of elevage, we have a rarity in a vigneron doing everything in his power to release only the finest wines he can make from his prized plots. These are not flashy, showy wines. Excellence is achieved not through fancy winemaking but from the utmost quality of primary material, given the respect it deserves by a true visionary with more patience than perhaps sense.

They require thought, reflection, and a little patience of your own. Give them the respect Thomas gives his fruit and you will be rewarded with the finest Chablis one can find. Also, it helps that Thomas is a lovely guy. He was pouring his wines with baby in tow at the Loire Salons, seemingly unfazed by the clear admiration and crowds he was attracting. All the other vignerons had his bottles on their tables too. A good sign.

Outside of Chablis, lots of fizz on the shelves. If you see Brochet anywhere near a bottle of sparkling, you’re probably in safe hands. Emmanuel, but also for the first time, Gaspard. Our tiny allocation is moving fast so get in quick. Hopefully more to come…

Plenty of events to get stuck into too. If you like racy wine full of life, come and join me next Tuesday. I'm off the clock and purely partaking for the sheer pleasure. Magnums, large pours, snacks, great chat, a chance to ask the actual winemaker any geeky questions you have, reds, whites, older vintages, younger releases. You name it, we've got it. Seriously, there is no better way to spend £40. Do the thing.

Further down the line in June, J and I will be pouring older vintages from one of our favourite producers. A rare chance to open library stock from what is, in my opinion, South Africa's finest. Wines going back to 2012, vintage verticals, and plenty of other fun bits. Stupidly limited, and probably your only chance to taste zero-zero South African wine over a decade old. No brainer.

Bisou
F
xoxo