Sam Wylie-Harris heads to Burgundy and samples the fine whites of Chablis

Famous, French and fancy; the wines of Chablis are borne from the vineyards lying on either side of the River Serein which flows through the pretty village of Chablis in the most northerly region of Burgundy.

Terroir driven, this cool-climate chardonnay takes its DNA from the unique limestone soil (a chalky clay called Kimmeridgian) that blankets the V-shaped, river-bank valleys, and blesses the wines with that hallmark flinty edge, elegance and excellent ageing potential.

The grand cru grapes come from a single slope on the right bank that’s divided into seven plots, the largest and finest is Les Clos, and other labels to look out for are Blanchot, Bougros, Grenouille, Preuses, Valmur and Vaudesir. Even if the designer price tag means you will have to pay through the nose, before you nose, these wines – which account for just 3% of Chablis’s total production – have the ability to keep for 15 or 20 years. Each plot has its own character, and exposure to the sun is crucial to the low-yielding fruit.

Beyond these blue-chip grand crus though, the second tier and more affordable premier crus can also deliver pronounced mineral pleasure, followed on by simple village Chablis and entry level Petit Chablis.

A highly respected estate, Domaine Laroche have been making Chablis since 1850. One of the largest owners of grand cru vineyards, they also have prize parcels of premier cru across eight different terroirs and a flagship Chablis, Chablis Saint Martin. The first Burgundian producer to move to screwcap closures, even their grands cru wines don’t need a corkscrew.

However, to experience the delicacy, freshness and longevity that's put these wines on the map, Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2008, France (£382 case of six/ £65.20 bt, www.thefinewinecompany.co.uk ) calls for your finest stem ware. Expect a flinty character on the nose and minerality which develops on the palate. Pure and powerful, it promises complexity of aniseed and spring flowers on the long-lasting finish.

Another poster girl for floral aromas that come of age, try Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots 2007, France (£295.38 case of six/ £49.23 bt, www.thefinewinecompany.co.uk). According to Laroche, Les Blanchots’ style always offers white blossom and orchard fruit, both on the nose and the palate, with a salty finish that’s typical of this high class grand cru and part of its allure.

Elsewhere, Domaine Duplessis Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2011, France (£39.95, www.bbr.com) is a top quality younger vintage that’s ripe for drinking now and already has the weight to become more complex given time. Rich and minerally with opulent overtones of pear and apple fruit with well balanced acidity on the long, generous finish.

More lean and lithe, Simonnet-Febvre Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons 2011, France (£22.18, www.spiritedwines.co.uk) is another well-known premier cru vineyard on the left bank and the wine shows crisp, invigorating green apple flavours.

A young Chablis from the right bank that’s a distant cousin of a grand cru (Domaine Billaud-Simon also have plots in Les Clos and Preuses), Chablis Billaud-Simon 2012, France (£166 case of 12/£13.83, www.goedhuis.com) is an easy drinking style from the latest 2012 vintage with a pleasant mineral acidity, a touch of oyster shell and a fruity, crisp finish.