Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2021 is a classic, mineral Premier Cru from a site right beside the Chablis Grands Crus. Expect floral and citrus notes with a saline finish. Three critics rated it 94 POINTS, and Allen Meadows of Burghound summed it up in a word: "stunning".
In the glass it shows a cool, airy and direct nose with a lovely purity, and the oak sits quietly in the background.
It is a special weekend wine for anyone who likes their Chablis precise and age-worthy. This wine would pair well with grilled lobster or turbot.
What it tastes like
The wine has fruit and intense mineral notes on the nose. The palate is structured, and it is starting to turn more subtle and elegant as riper fruit flavours develop.
Bill Nanson of The Burgundy Report found it "so perfectly packaged", with a bitter-lemon bite and a long, sneaky finish.
Style at a glance
- Body: Medium to full
- Sweetness: Dry
- Acidity: Fresh and racy
- Oak: Part of the wine is aged in older French oak barrels, which adds texture without masking the fruit
- Style: Classic, mineral, age-worthy Premier Cru
Food to enjoy this with
- Grilled lobster
- Turbot
- Scallops
- Fish in a cream sauce
- Foie gras, where the wine's acidity cuts through the richness
- Aged goat's cheese
Who makes it
William Fèvre founded the Domaine in 1959 with 7 hectares, building on more than 250 years of family winegrowing in Chablis. It is now the largest owner of Grand Cru vineyards in the region, with 70 hectares spread over 90 separate plots. In January 2024 it joined the Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) family, and Didier Séguier, winemaker since 1998, still runs the cellar.
Montée de Tonnerre stretches around the hillside just east of the Grands Crus and shares much of their geology, which is why it is widely regarded as one of the finest Premier Cru sites. Domaine William Fèvre farms 2.24 hectares on the crest of the slope, split between three lieux-dits (named vineyard plots): Pied d'Aloup, Côte de Bréchain and Chapelot.
Each plot brings something different. Pied d'Aloup has the most marl (lime-rich clay) and adds structure and salinity, while the old Chapelot vines, planted in 1936, add finesse.
The grapes are moved by gravity rather than pumped and pressed gently, and the wine ferments naturally in stainless steel. Part of it then spends 5 to 6 months on fine lees (spent yeast cells that add texture) in French oak barrels, none of them new. Domaine William Fèvre was one of the first Chablis estates to gain HVE3 environmental certification, in 2014, and most of its vineyards are farmed biodynamically.
About the vintage
Bill Nanson of The Burgundy Report tasted the 2021s with Didier Séguier. Frost hit the higher vineyards hard, and the team ran frost-protection sprinklers for 13 to 14 days until the lake that feeds them nearly ran dry. Séguier said ripeness came "more by concentration than phenolic maturity", and that many of the wines "still need 10 years".
Charles Curtis MW rates 2021 at 4 out of 5 for Decanter. Low yields and a difficult season challenged growers, but the concentration that resulted gave top wines that are thrillingly crisp and powerful, with a long life ahead of them.
Critic scores and ratings
- 94 POINTS – Allen Meadows – Burghound, October 2023
"A discreet dollop of wood sets off the equally cool and perhaps even slightly more elegant aromas of acacia, citrus, seashore and oyster shell. The sleek and highly sophisticated medium-bodied flavors possess a really lovely texture while delivering superb length on the bitter lemon and mineral-suffused finish. This beautifully balanced yet altogether powerful effort is crystalline in its purity and a wine that should repay a decade plus of keeping. In a word, stunning."
- 94 POINTS – Andy Howard MW – Decanter, October 2022
"Fevre's Montée de Tonnerre comes from all three sectors. Seguier notes that Pied d'Aloup has the highest marn content, Montée de Tonnerre adds weight and the old Chapelot vines (planted in 1936) add finesse. More closed on the nose. Weighty, concentrated, persistent. Saline notes. Will be a great gourmand wine. Some white flower notes, lots of zesty orange and grapefruit on the palate with a nice touch of white peach. For long ageing."
- 94 POINTS – John Gilman – View from the Cellar
"The 2021 William Fèvre Montée de Tonnerre is an outstanding young wine. It delivers fine complexity in its aromatic constellation of pear, green apple, a beautiful base of limestone minerality, dried flowers, lime peel, incipient notes of beeswax and a topnote of anise. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and rock solid at the core, with superb soil signature and cut, impeccable balance and a long, complex and nicely mineral finish. Fine, fine juice."
- 93+ POINTS – William Kelley – Wine Advocate
"The 2021 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre is a lovely classic, unwinding in the glass to reveal aromas of white flowers, citrus zest, crisp green apple and oyster shells, followed by a medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive palate that's pure, layered and structured, concluding with a penetrating finish."
- 92 POINTS – Neal Martin – Vinous, October 2025
"The 2021 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru has a succinct bouquet with low-key mineralité that emerges with aeration. Very fresh with a light sea spray element. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity in a more elegant style, composed with brightness and sapidity on the finish. Excellent. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting."
When to drink it
It is drinking now and has plenty of life ahead. Neal Martin of Vinous, who tasted it in bottle in 2025, suggests drinking it now and through to 2036.
Technical details
| Producer: |
Domaine William Fèvre |
| Wine: |
Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre |
| Vintage: |
2021 |
| Variety: |
100% Chardonnay |
| Region: |
Montée de Tonnerre, Chablis Premier Cru, Burgundy |
| Country: |
France |
| Classification: |
Chablis Premier Cru |
| Alcohol: |
12.5% |
| Oak: |
Part aged on fine lees in older French oak barrels, no new oak |
| Fermentation: |
Stainless steel, with natural fermentations |
| Closure: |
Diam composite cork |
| Cellaring: |
Now to 2036 (Neal Martin, Vinous) |
Where to buy
The Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2021 is available online at thewineryonline.co.nz for delivery within New Zealand. You can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine. Online and in both stores you can select a mixed case from a large range of wines.
Questions we are often asked
Is William Fèvre Montée de Tonnerre 2021 ready to drink?
Yes. Neal Martin of Vinous gives it a drinking window of 2025 to 2036, so it can be opened now or cellared for several more years.
What scores did Montée de Tonnerre 2021 get?
Allen Meadows (Burghound), Andy Howard MW (Decanter) and John Gilman (View from the Cellar) each gave it 94. William Kelley of Wine Advocate gave it 93+.
Which vineyards go into William Fèvre Montée de Tonnerre?
It blends 3 plots on the crest of the hill: Pied d'Aloup, Côte de Bréchain and Chapelot, where the oldest vines date from 1936.
What was the 2021 vintage like in Chablis?
Frost and a tricky season cut yields sharply. The small crop gave concentrated, crisp wines, and Decanter rates the vintage 4 out of 5.
Where can I buy Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2021?
The Winery sells Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2021 online at thewineryonline.co.nz for delivery within New Zealand. You can also buy it in our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores.
