2014 Domaine Corinne et Jean-Pierre Grossot Chablis 750 ml

From Backpack to By-the-Glass at Jean-Georges

They’re the toughest NYC placements to come by. It’s one thing to get appointments with the sommeliers at addresses like Jean-Georges, Bâtard, and Rebelle — all members of the exclusive Michelin star club — another to convince the directors of the city’s greatest wine programs to add your wine’s name to the list. But it’s a different story altogether when the likes of Eric Hastings at Jean-Georges, Patrick Cappiello at Rebelle, and Jason Jacobeit at Bâtard adopt your zesty, citrusy, minerally Chablis as their own — and pour it by the glass. That’s when you know you’ve hit the big time.

Jean-Pierre Grossot had nothing to lose when he walked through the gilded lobby at the entrance of Jean-Georges on Columbus Circle. The humble grape grower from a tiny village was justifiably proud of his family legacy and the terroir he calls home. The Grossot family tends very well-placed sloping vineyards in the communes of Fleys, Chichée, and Fontenay. They are able to produce such an exceptionally rich and expressive Chablis because their grapes attain extra maturity, due to the excellent vineyards and their practice of keeping yields low. Village Chablis pedigree doesn’t get much better.

Jean-Pierre had been impressed by a Canal+ TV show featuring Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and vowed to bring his wines to the chef’s flagship restaurant if he ever made it to the Big Apple. Grossot knew that dropping in on a restaurant of this caliber without an appointment was a gamble, but still he was so certain that Jean-Georges would appreciate his wine that he went for it. He knocked on the door on Central Park West with a knapsack bearing two bottles of his classic Chablis and a Ziploc bag of ice cubes to keep them cool.

Sommelier Eric Hastings sat him at the bar and Jean-Pierre made his pitch. Eric, one of the most respected sommeliers on the East Coast and the most careful of tasters, was impressed with his impassioned speech and opened the bottle to taste. Noting the shimmering color, he took a whiff of the zesty citrus fruit with flint smoke and mouthwatering acidity. Then Hastings knocked Jean-Pierre Grossot right off his bar stool, ordering a pile of Chablis to feature by-the-glass at Jean-Georges. Grossot’s gamble had paid off.

If you’re going to New York City for a holiday shopping trip soon and you want to know where to eat, you won’t need Zagat. Forget about Yelp or TripAdvisor. All you need do is follow Grossot and his classic Chablis around town. But you might have to stay a week or two. After Eric Hastings’ endorsement, plenty more followed, beginning with Oceana, 21 Club, Bâtard, and Rebelle and, of course, Jean-Georges.

Grossot’s Chablis is the perfect intersection of price and value. At $18/glass around town, it’s worth every penny. And today on WineAccess at $25.99? Well, we don’t think you can find a better Chablis out there at this price. Only 100 cases. Shipping included on 6 bottles or more.