Across the river from the town of Chablis, the right bank is home to some of the most famous vineyards of the region. These south-west facing hills are drenched in long hours of sunlight that help the grapes reach their optimal ripeness despite the cold-prone North. Combined with the famed Kimmeridgian soils with fossilized shells, the result is complex wines with layers of fruit and salinity offering decades of life.
While the Grand Cru vineyards mostly take up the spotlight, a few lucky Premier Crus share similar conditions by virtue of the right bank itself. A six-minute drive east from the town of Chablis is Fleys, home to Domaine Gautheron and its neighbouring prized Premier Cru, Les Fourneaux. The name translates to “the furnace”, a reference to the vines ability to withstand southern exposure during peak periods due to a higher concentration of moisture retaining clay soils. Kimmeridgian soils, scattered pockets of marl and bands of limestone also extend to these slopes.