The Soupé family have owned and farmed vineyards in Chablis for three generations. Brothers Frédéric and Jean-Michel run the domaine, which has only recently started bottling. Their maternal grandfather was the 71st grower to join La Chablisienne co-operative in 1923, the same year it was founded. Frédéric and Jean-Michel left the co-operative in 2018, their first vintage.

Jean-Michel oversees the 16 hectares of Domaine Soupé, which are farmed sustainably. The family own just under 10.5 hectares of Chablis, 2.75 hectares in Montée de Tonnerre and a couple of hectares between Vaillons and Petit Chablis. The fragmented nature of their parcels in Chablis brings different elements to the final blend, from a marked chalkiness to a white pear character that combine wonderfully. The vines for their Chablis are between 28 to 31 years old and planted principally on south-facing slopes.

Frédéric is responsible for winemaking and seeks to produce wines which reflect their origins. He uses indigenous yeasts and temperature-controlled stainless-steel fermentation to help retain the freshness and purity of the fruit grown by his brother. Their Chablis spends six months on fine lees in stainless steel for additional texture, before being lightly filtered and bottled. The wine displays lively notes of citrus and stone fruit, enhanced by bright acidity and a saline finish.

The Chablis 1er Cru ‘Montée de Tonnerre’ comes from 2.75 hectares of 63 to 66-year-old vines. The parcels lie on west-facing slopes on Kimmeridgian, marne and limestone soils, which produce wines with a marked chalky character. The majority of the 2020 vintage was sourced from lieu dit ‘Pied d’Aloup’ and a small percentage from lieu dit ‘Côte de Bréchain’. The brothers added another parcel to the blend in 2021 and most of the fruit now comes from lieu dit ‘Chapelot’. This parcel lends richness to the blend whereas the other two bring freshness and complexity. Like the Chablis, it is fermented in stainless steel and then aged for a further six months on fine lees. The 2020 vintage is rich and powerful with a core of concentrated stone fruit and harmonious acidity, whereas the 2021 vintage has a more citrus fruit-driven character and tightly coiled acidity.

The 0.09-hectare parcel of Chablis Grand Cru ‘Preuses’ lies at the top of the slope to the west of the Grand Cru hill. The exposition is directly west, and the vines therefore receive the last hours of sunshine during the summer months. The vines are between 16 to 19 years old and sit on a mixture of Portlandian and Kimmeridgian limestone soils. Although the brothers do not own any vines here, they work with the grower to get the quality of fruit they want. The grapes are hand harvested and fermented in stainless steel. Both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation are completed in used oak 500-litre demi-muids. This ensures the oak is well integrated and lends texture but does not overpower the wine. Although the wine ages for a further six months on fine lees, Frédéric does not carry out bâtonnage as he wants the wine to retain as much vibrant acidity as possible.

The quality of their vineyards ensures that Jean-Michel and Frédéric have a domaine that is one of the rising stars in Chablis. We look forward to following their progress over the years to come.