Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard’s Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2023 comes from one of Chablis’ most celebrated premier cru sites, on the right bank of the Serein and close to the grand cru slope. The vineyard’s Kimmeridgian clay-limestone soils are a key part of the wine’s identity, and Brocard’s approach—built around “force, freshness and precision”—aims to keep the terroir front and center. The estate, founded in 1973 in Préhy and now run by Jean-Marc’s son Julien, farms on a large scale in Chablis with a strong sustainable and organic direction.

In the glass, the early signs point to both ripeness and definition. Jasper Morris (Inside Burgundy) rated it 94 and noted its color as “fullish yellow with some green tints,” then called out “excellent intensity” and “excellent balance all the way through,” adding that despite “significant intensity” it remains “light on its feet.” That combination—density without heaviness—is often what separates top Montée de Tonnerre from broader, fruit-led Chablis.

The wine’s strongest published accolade is from Decanter, which awarded a standout 96 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards—an excellent review by any measure. Decanter describes “hallmark oyster shell minerals” running through “buzzy lemon and lime flavours,” backed by “a grippy underlay of savoury structure and mouth-watering acidity,” finishing with the assessment: “Sunny and bright with serious time ahead.” Those comments suggest a classic premier cru profile: citrus drive, saline mineral detail, and the kind of structural grip that should reward cellaring.

Vintage conditions in 2023 were complicated in Chablis, but late-season warmth helped secure ripeness while keeping freshness, a pattern that fits the wine’s bright, mineral-framed reviews. Brocard typically ferments in temperature-controlled tanks and matures the wine for about 10 months, largely in stainless steel with a period in mostly neutral oak, keeping oak influence restrained.