Chablis lies about sixteen kilometres (10 mi) east of Auxerre in the Yonne department, situated roughly halfway between the Côte d'Or and Paris.

The soil is Kimmeridge Clay with outcrops of the same chalk layer that extends from Sancerre up to the White Cliffs of Dover, giving a name to the paleontologists' Cretaceous period.

The Grands Crus, the best vineyards in the area, all lie on a single, small slope, facing southwest and located just north of the town of Chablis.

[2] During the Middle Ages the Catholic Church, particularly Cistercian monks, became a major influence in establishing the economic and commercial interest of viticulture for the region.

[5] Chardonnay is believed to have first been planted in Chablis by the Cistercians of Pontigny Abbey in the 12th century, and from there spread south to the rest of the Burgundy region.

[9] The 19th-century Russian novel Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy mentions "classic Chablis" as a commonplace choice of wine.

Firstly, with new railway systems linking all parts of the country with Paris, there was inexpensive wine from regions in the Midi that undercut Chablis.

[1] The 20th century did bring about a renewed commitment to quality production and ushered in technological advances that would allow viticulture to be more profitable and reliable in this cool northern climate.

In the early 1960s, technological advances in vineyard frost protection minimized some of the risk and financial cost associated with variable vintages and climate of Chablis.

The peak summer growing season can be hot; and wintertime can be long, cold and harsh, with frosty conditions lasting to early May.

Years that experience too much rain and low temperature tend to produce wines excessively high in acidity and fruit that is too lean to support it.

Other areas, particularly most of the Petit Chablis vineyards, are planted on slightly younger Portlandian soil, still of similar structure.

During the bud break period of a grapevine's annual cycle, the Chablis region is vulnerable to springtime frost, from March to early May, which can compromise the crop yield.

Formerly, the financial risk involved saw many producers turn to polyculture agriculture, pulling up vineyards to plant alternative crops.

[1] The 1957 vintage was hit particularly hard by frost damage: the regional authorities reported that only 11 cases (132 bottles) of wine were produced.

[15] In the 1960s, technological advances in frost protection introduced preventive measures, such as smudge pots and aspersion irrigation to the region.

While cost is a factor in using smudge pots, there is a risk with the aspersion method if the constant sprinkling of water is interrupted causing worse damage to the vine.

[17] There is no official regulation on the use of mechanical harvesting, but most Grand Cru producers prefer hand picking because human pickers tend to be more delicate with the grapes and can distinguish better between ripe and unripe bunches.

Historically Chablis was aged in old wooden feuillette barrels that were essentially neutral: they did not impart the characteristic oak flavors (vanilla, cinnamon, toast, coconut, etc.)

Next is the generic AOC Chablis which, at 2,860 hectares (7,067 acres), is the largest appellation by far in the region and the one exhibits the most variability between producers and vintages.

[12][19] There are seven officially delineated Grand Cru climats, covering an area of 100 hectares (247 acres), all located on one southwest facing hill overlooking the town of Chablis at elevations between 150–200 metres (490–660 ft).

Grand Cru makers must submit their wines to a tasting committee of other Union members to ensure they meet the required quality.

[1] In general, Premier Cru wines have at least half a degree less alcohol by volume and tend to have less aromatics and intensity in flavors.

Chablis winemakers want to emphasize the terroir of the calcareous soil and cooler climate that help maintain high acidity.

Some examples of Chablis can have an earthy "wet stone" flavor that intensifies as it ages, before mellowing into delicate honeyed notes.

[12] For most of the 20th century, Chablis wine was produced more for the export than the domestic French market, which tended to favor the Côte d'Or Chardonnays.