Around 35 years ago, Jean-Claude and Christiane Oudin returned to their roots in Chablis. They had good albeit stressful jobs in Paris, and the thought of building up a domaine as winegrowers was very appealing. Christiane’s father had a couple of hectares in the small village of Chichée, just south of Chablis. They nurtured domaine up to its current size of 10 hectares, and it is now run by their daughter Nathalie, with help from her sister Isabelle.
Nathalie’s tale is a familiar one amongst many born into wine families. She had initially left the domaine to study biology in the UK, before realising her love and passion for the world of wine and returning to the estate in 2007. She continues a number of initiatives begun by her parents, including ploughing the soils and avoiding the use of chemicals, whilst also taking it a step further by not using herbicides and natural composts.
Oudin’s Vaucoupin vines are around 65 years old and certified organic. The wine is classic Chablis, fermented and aged in only stainless steel to retain the purity of the limestone soil of the site. It is aged on fine lees which help to add some body and complexity while drawing out the expression of the soil and the site.