I’ve tried a couple of Petit Chablis before and was a bit mystified at what distinguished them from regular Chablis. After some research, the distinction between the Kimmeridgian and Portlandian soil types seemed to loom largest, though I was intrigued to see that some Petit Chablis was on Kimmeridgian soils too. I found two Petit Chablis, both for $19.99, one on each soil type, for a comparison.
2021 Domaine Seguinot-Bordet Petit Chablis
Dry and acidic. Subtle flavor at first. Lemon peel and a bit of sour peach/stone fruit comes out more midway through the palate. Lots of minerality. Electric and very enjoyable when paired with seafood (shrimp in this case). While not as rounded as some of the Premier Cru Chablis I’ve had before, it’s quite clean and nailed the “Chablis” taste. This came from a southeast-facing Kimmeridgian plot, according to the Domaine’s website.
2020 Famille Ventoura Petit Chablis
Darker yellow in the glass. More substance in the mouthfeel and less acidic. Much more fruit, maybe mango, grapefruit, and lemon-lime (not my favorite combo) taste. Almost bitter aftertaste. Less “Chablis” like and felt a bit “warmer” though both wines had the same ABV (12.5%). This was from a northeast-facing Portlandian plot.
Perhaps there’s some vintage and producer effect going on too, but I was pretty impressed with the rather stark differences. I would definitely seek out more Petit Chablis on the Kimmeridgian soils for pretty solid value.