Our Past History

Founded in 1840, Maison Simonnet-Febvre is a traditional Chablis winery and amongst the oldest in the area.

In 1840, Jean Febvre, a cooper from Montbard, bought Tisserand, a wine merchant company, and then specialized in the making of Sparkling Chablis, the ancester of our present Crémant de Bourgogne. Married to the daughter of a broker named Forgeot, the company became Febvre-Forgeot.

The company grew in the 19th century under the leadership of four successive generations. Melanie, daughter of Jean Febvre married Amedee Simonnet, they developped the company together. In 1894, with the death of Mr. Febvre, Febvre-Forgeot changed its name for the benefit of the person who would take the reins and thus became Simonnet-Febvre. Then their two sons, Georges and Camille, took over the business and gave it a significant push with their progressive vision. Modernization of facilities, building of the winery and loading dock, installation of electricity and telephone. These improvements went hand in hand with increasing national and export sales of sparkling Chablis along with still white wines from Chablis coming from Simonnet-Febvre's domaine. Georges will be succeeded by Pierre and then Jean-Claude Simonnet.

Simonnet-Febvre is the only one in Chablis to perpetuate since its origin the production of sparkling wines from the traditional method - now called Crémant de Bourgogne. The grapes still come from the slopes of the Grand Auxerrois area, located a few kilometers away from the famous Chablis vineyards. Ironically, Louis Latour from the 4^th generation had celebrated the purchase of the Château Corton with bottles of Sparkling Chablis from Simonnet-Febvre. These bottles were ordered on December 8th, 1891, which was 112 years before Louis Latour finally purchased Simonnet-Febvre.

Maison Simonnet-Febvre

Nowadays Simonnet-Febvre produces a wide range of wines expressing the different terroirs of the Chablis and Grand Auxerrois vineyards.

Founded in 1840, Maison Simonnet-Febvre owns vineyards in Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru Mont de Milieu and Chablis Grand Cru Preuses. It is a traditional Chablis winery amongst the oldest in the area. Bought by Maison Louis Latour in 2003, it is nowadays led by Paul Espitalié who managed to inspire a new dynamic while keeping its independence by running it as a separate enterprise with its own house style.

Nowadays Simonnet-Febvre produces a wide range of wines expressing the different terroirs of Chablis. Maison Simonnet-Febvre's style is asserted with the same conviction throughout the whole range of wines, from our famous Saint-Bris to our outstanding Chablis Grand Cru "Les Clos".

We carry on our historical legacy by being the only winery in Chablis to produce a range of Crémants de Bourgogne. Owning 15 hectares of vineyards in the Auxois area which is halfway between Chablis and Beaune, Simonnet-Febvre is trying to restore the former grandeur to this once glorious terroir of Burgundy.

Our old buildings in Chablis and our modern winery in Chitry-le-Fort enable us to fully express the unique character of the vineyards of Chablis while preserving traditions from over a century ago.

Paul Espitalié

Paul ESPITALIE, General Manager at Maison Simonnet-Febvre since April 2019.

Originally from Cahors, oenologist graduated from the Oenology Center of Toulouse.

He began his career in 1992 in the heart of the southwest in the region of Gaillac where he was the technical manager of the Rabastens coop (VINOVALIES).
In 2002, he joined the Grands Chais de France Group as site manager at the Maison du Vigneron in the Jura.
He arrived in Chablis in 2013 where he was recruited by the Chablisienne as General Operation Manager.
In 2019, he became General Manager of the Maison Simonnet Febvre.

"At the head of this venerable house, I continue to perpetuate the tradition, rich in know-how and a beautiful palette of wine.
Today, I am committed to expanding the range of wines and diversifying the offer of our Chablis with selections of wines from our vineyards.
My goal is to propose wines representative of the richness of the terroirs of Chablis, the auxerrois and the Auxois and of course crémants de Bourgogne
You are most welcome in our tasting room in chablis to discover our wines."

Our region

Simonnet-Febvre's Style

Terroir, Purity, Precision

Maison Simonnet-Febvre gives birth to pure and focused wines, each and every one expressing in their own unique way their terroir with the mineral backbone typical of the wines from Northern Burgundy.

It produces a wide range of wines expressing the different terroirs of the Chablis region, from Petit Chablis to Chablis Grand Cru, and the historic Yonne vineyards all gathered under the name of the Grand Auxerrois. These vineyards, which were destroyed when the phylloxera crisis hit the area in the 19^th century, have been progressively replanted and have nowadays regain their prestige.

Simonnet-Febvre is also the only one in Chablis to produce a whole range of Crémants de Bourgogne, maintaining a more than a century-old tradition.

Finally with the purchase of 15 hectares of vineyard within the Coteaux de l'Auxois vineyard, Maison Simonnet-Febvre shows it vision of both traditional and innovative viticulture in 'Greater Burgundy'.