William Fevre: New Powerful Player In Chablis - And You Can Get Early Access

Domaine William Fevre is the major landowner of Grand Cru vineyards in Chablis. No less than 15.2 hectares of the total 101 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards in the area belong to William Fevre, who undoubtedly must be mentioned alongside Raveneau and Dauvissat, when it comes to the absolute best producers in the area. In addition, the price of the 2018 William Fevre Les Clos is still extremely attractive compared to the wines of the other two icons, and that is particularly interesting from an investment point of view - but it will probably not stay that way for long…

White Wine - A Frequently Overlooked Investment Gem

White wine, which is becoming increasingly popular at the moment, is a category that often goes under the radar when people talk about wine investments. The best of its kind is usually found in Burgundy, and in the northern part of Burgundy, you have Chablis.

Red Burgundies often tend to attract most of the attention, although several places in the region, including Chablis, produce some of the unquestionably best white wines in the world - even in much smaller quantities. The focus is often on Montrachet and the surrounding municipalities, and as a result, it is easy to forget the hidden treasures to be found in Chablis, where William Fevre shines as one of the brightest stars.

As a wine investor, it is naturally an advantage that the production of Grand Cru white wine is significantly lower than the production of Grand Cru red wine. Well-known producers such as Domaine Leroy, Leflaive, and Coche-Dury benefit from this, and these are far from unknown to wine investors, which is also reflected in the price. Next, we must look at Corton-Charlemagne and Chablis, which are the only other two places where Grand Cru white wine is produced in Burgundy.

In addition, the attention in recent years has been directed towards Chablis. As temperatures rise in the classic part of Burgundy, the northern-located Chablis has the advantage of a cooler climate. The cooler climate helps to create a better acid structure in the wines, making them more durable in the long term and thereby highly suitable for investment.

From Good Chablis To The Best Chablis - William Fevre

When you have the largest share of Chablis’ Grand Cru vineyards, a good winery, but still not able to produce the best wine in the area, should you then retire? Perhaps that was what William Fevre was thinking when he sold his domain to the renowned Henriot Champagne House in 1998. They, on the other hand, have both the financial muscles, and not least the will, to make that extra effort, which has lifted the wines from being really good to be among the absolute best in Chablis. Among other things, they have converted the production to be biodynamic and hired an excellent winemaker in the form of Didier Séguier.

Since Champagne powerhouse Henriot acquired the domaine in 1998, the style of the wines has changed significantly. There has been less use of barrels and more focus on the pure precise fruit that Chablis is known for. The change to the cleaner style has even helped to increase demand for these wines. The pure style is what the market wants. This change has helped to move Fevre into the same league as Dauvissat and Raveneau - at the top of Chablis. And this applies not just to Les Clos, which is the subject of this investment tip, but also to the other top wines from William Fevre, such as Bourgros, Valmur and Preuses, all of which have Grand Cru status and are at the top of Chablis.

250 Years Of History And Know-How

William Fevre's family has origins in the Chablis area, going back more than 250 years. Since World War II, they have been considered one of the most important grape growers in Chablis. Young William Fevre followed the family tradition and founded Domaine de la Maladiere in 1959, which later became Domaine William Fevre. Throughout the 1970s, William Fevre invested in new technology, not to mention the best vineyards, to improve his position in the market. Overall, the domain today stands with 78 hectares of vineyards, a large part classified as Grand Cru.

Domaine William Fevre has one of the most impressive collections of vineyards in Chablis. Grand Cru, as we know, is the highest classification that can be achieved in the area and accounts for 1% of the region's total production of just 101 hectares in total. Of these, Fevre owns a full 15.2 hectares, and at the level just below, Domaine William Fevre even has 15.9 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards out of a total of 779 hectares. This number of good vineyards makes the productions range widely at Domaine William Fevre, but here, you are only offered the best of the best.

Today, the cellar master Didier Séguier has changed the production, so the wine critics are diligently rewarding. As a result, the quality is now at its highest level ever. All vineyards are treated according to the best sustainable principles and on top of that, all Grand Cru vineyards are cultivated according to biodynamic prescriptions, yet without certification. In the cellar, gravity is used to avoid disturbing the wine with pumps - an approach that might sound a bit avant-garde to the ordinary wine lover but is among the details that make a difference.

The 2018 Vintage In Chablis

It is also worth mentioning that 2018 was a vintage that producers welcomed with open arms. A vintage where there was no frost and hail, which characterized the two previous vintages. A warm growing season that ultimately yielded the largest harvest for a long time. The quality of the grapes was at the highest level, and it was therefore up to the winemakers to ensure the production of top wines. The producers who chose to harvest with small yields obtained fantastically balanced and intense grapes.

For the above reasons, the 2018 vintage saw the absolute best producers make the further distance in the top. Raveneau, Dauvissat and William Fevre have indeed shown the way with yields, good parcels, and hard work in the vineyard. The fact remains that William Fevre's wines from the 2018 vintage, along with the other two top producers, will define Chablis for many years to come and set new standards for the region. And that's exactly the journey you can take part in now by investing in Domaine William Fevre's Grand Cru Les Clos, which we are offering for investment.

The greatest and most famous Grand Cru vineyard in Chablis is Les Clos, one out of 7 Grand Cru vineyards in the area. They are all perfectly exposed to the sun and have a terroir full of shells from when the ice retreated through Europe. Optimal exposure and terroir, combined with a slightly cooler climate than the south of Burgundy, make this particular part of France optimal for producing Chardonnay wines of high intensity and great development potential.

Domaine Williams Fevre's five parcels at Les Clos are located in the upper part of the vineyard, where the grapes have the longest ripening period. The result is wines with extra intensity and longer aging potential. Of course, of the other top producers, Raveneau, Bichot, and Dauvissat can also be found at Les Clos.

RareWine Invest’s Opinion

Already in 2018, the English wine exchange Liv-ex reported that Chablis was growing out of the shadow of the other top wines in Burgundy. This was supported by trading activity and price increases for the best wines from the region. So, it remains today - and perhaps even more significant today. The best wines from Chablis can compete with the great whites in terms of quality - and the top wines from William Fevre are certainly among them.

The 2018 Les Clos is rated 94 and 95 points by Vinous and The Wine Advocate respectively, putting it on the same level as the iconic Raveneau Les Clos from the same vintage. 

In addition, after the sale to Henriot in 1998, Domaine William Fevre is not only one of the best producers in Chablis, but also one of the producers with the greatest marketing capacity. This means that demand will surely increase in line with the fame over the next years - especially because of the greatest raw material; the best vineyards, strong economy, and skilled people in production. The climate of Chablis, which is cooler than the rest of Burgundy, will also continue to play an increasing role, and so there will undoubtedly be an even greater focus on the area in the years to come.

There is no doubt that Domaine William Fevre is an upcoming star, but the big upside is that the price still has not kept up with the pace of quality and fame, and therefore you can as a wine investor for a limited time still get on the bandwagon before it really picks up pace.