Chablis & the Grand Auxerrois — Burgundy's Northern Frontier

The official wine kit for the Napa Valley Wine Academy Tasting Lab, hosted for Premier Crew members. Lab Tasting Webinar For August 27, 2026.

When most people think of Burgundy, their minds drift straight to the Côte d'Or. But far to the north, surrounding the historic town of Auxerre, sits a treasure trove of hidden gems, ancient traditions, and stylistic surprises that every serious wine student needs to understand.
This four-sample kit contains the wines poured in NVWA's interactive Tasting Lab, where an expert instructor guides Premier Crew members off the beaten path and into Chablis and its satellite appellations — collectively, the Grand Auxerrois. It's a masterclass in extreme cool-climate viticulture, in Kimmeridgian and Portlandian limestone, and in appellations that quietly break Burgundy's traditional rules.

What you'll taste

• Saint-Bris "Mont Embrasé," Blanc, 2023 — Domaine Jean-Louis et Jean-Christophe Bersan. Burgundy's only appellation for Sauvignon Blanc, and proof that the region's rulebook has exceptions worth knowing.
• Petit Chablis, Blanc, 2023 — Domaine Alexandre. The Portlandian benchmark, and a clear lesson in how soil, not just grape, defines Chablis.
• Vézelay "L'Élégante," Blanc, 2023 — Domaine de la Croix Montjoie. Chardonnay from Burgundy's newest village appellation, from a domaine that helped put it back on the map.
• Irancy, Rouge, 2020 — Domaine Olivier Morin. Pinot Noir at the northern edge of viability, with the rare permitted addition of César. Structured, savory, and unlike any red from the Côte.

Tasted side by side alongside expert commentary, these four wines map the full stylistic range of northern Burgundy — from crisp Sauvignon to steely Chardonnay to a cool-climate red that surprises nearly everyone who tries it.

Kit includes: four 100ml vials, one of each wine above. Order in time for delivery ahead of the live session. The Tasting Lab webinar itself is included with your NVWA Premier Crew membership — this kit is the wine only. Kits will be shipped out on August 17, 2026.