The
Chablis region is the northernmost
wine district of the
Burgundy region in
France. The grapevines around the town of
Chablis are almost all
Chardonnay, making a
dry white wine renowned for the purity of its
aroma and taste. The cool climate of this region produces wines with more
acidity and flavors less fruity than Chardonnay wines grown in warmer climates, The wines often have a "flinty" note, sometimes described as "
goût de pierre à fusil" ("tasting of
gunflint"), and sometimes as "steely". In comparison with the white wines from the rest of Burgundy, Chablis has on average much less influence of
oak. Most basic Chablis is unoaked, and
vinified in stainless steel tanks. The amount of barrel maturation, if any, is a stylistic choice which varies widely among Chablis producers. Many
Grand Cru and
Premier Cru wines receive some maturation in oak barrels, but typically the time in barrel and the proportion of new barrels is much smaller than for white wines of
Côte de Beaune.