Chablis used – in the distant past of the 1970’s and 80’s – to be one of those wines connoisseurs knew to avoid. This was not because it wasn’t good, it was, but because it was often over-priced. The trouble stemmed from the fact that it was one of the few wine names known to the general public. So when nervous mister neophyte wine drinker found himself confronted by a twenty page wine list and a hovering sommelier contemptuously twirling his tastervin, he panicked. Then his eyes would land on a name he at least recognized, the familiar Chablis, so that’s what he ordered. Quickly. And then with a sigh of relief he would hand back the list, wipe the sweat from his brow, and thank god that ordeal was over.

Well, times and wine fashions change, California chardonnay took over the world, and now Chablis is once again an affordable option, especially if you want a lighter, less showy chardonnay because, yes, although it might not appear to have much in common with the oaky California version, Chablis is, in fact, a chardonnay.

I explain the finer points of Chablis to Christian Moreau.

One has to be careful though – much village Chablis can be thin and acidic but the 1er and Grand Cru versions offer a wonderful display of clean, mineral-infused citrusy zest, and this is what I found in Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir 2007 from Christian Moreau ($60)

It shows a grassy minerality on the nose with not a hint of oak, and a clean, elegant purity on the palate. It is marked by a granular minerality that’s particularly noticeable on the long haunting finish that promises great things for the future. Give it a few years of bottle age and the angularity of the citrus flavors will have mellowed and the mineral-infused complexities of pure chardonnay-on-limestone will emerge.

This is not by any stretch an aperitif wine, but bring on that dish of oysters or the crab salad appetizer and ah, now we’re talking!