The first humans moved into the Chablis region between 300,000 and 3000 years BC.

In 700 BC, Celts inhabited the valley of the Serein. The origin of the word Chablis is thought to come from two Celtic words : "cab" (hut or cabin) and "leya" (near the woods).

In the second century BC, a Gaulish village existed at the southern entrance to the town of today.

From the first to the third century AD, Gallo-Romans built farms in the valley near Chablis. Vine planting started from this period, but really developed from the third century.

In 510, a monastery dedicated to Saint Loup was founded on the current site of the collegiate church of Saint Martin.

In 867, under the reign of King Charles the Bald (Charles le Chauve), monks of Saint Martin de Tours set up in Chablis and cultivated vines. The chapter of Saint Martin de Tours became lords of Chablis.

In 1114, the Cistercian abbey of Pontigny was founded. The monks of Pontigny planted their first vines at Chablis in 1133. They built a cellar and a press near the church of Saint Pierre, it was the first "Petit Pontigny".

At that period, the town of Chablis was part of Champagne.

Around 1160, the construction began of the collegiate church of Saint Martin.

In 1328, 450 owners of vines in Chablis were paying the Dîme, a mandatory tax or tithe to the lords of Chablis, the chapter of Saint Martin de Tours.

During the Hundred Years War (1337-1453), the English troops pillaged the town and destroyed the vines.

The troops of Edward III of England set fire to the town of Chablis in 1360.

From 1405, Chablis built ramparts (29 towers and walls 8 meters high).

750 owners shared 1100 arpents of vines in Chablis (equivalent to 600 hectares or 1500 acres).

All the current climats were already planted with vines and bore the same name as today.

Several families named Droin already possessed vines in Chablis before 1537 and it is realistic to think that our own ancestors featured amongst them.

In 1615, all the vines were frozen, the harvest wiped out ...

In 1650, there was a very small harvest, grape-worms ruined the grapes and were said to have "gasté les raisins" !

On 24^th April 1659, frost wiped out the crop.

In 1691, harvesting took place at end August. It would be more than three centuries before a harvest as early as that was experienced again.

The following year, in 1692, the harvest was lost at end September, under two feet of snow.

1709 was a black year for Chablis, which lost 20% of its population. The inhabitants died of cold and famine. The winter was so cold that wine froze in the barrels.

Five consecutive years of frost, from 1728 to 1733, brought extreme misery and hardship to Chablis.

In 1753, the abbot of Pontigny rented out the first Petit Pontigny and, in the name of the abbey, bought buildings and a cellar already constructed - the current Petit Pontigny.

In 1782, the crop was ravaged by hail on 14^th July.

At the time, a custom existed of ringing the church bells full blast to ward off storms, but this, alas, had not much success !

During the French Revolution, between 1791 and 1793, Jean-Boniface acquired some parcels of vines through the sale of National Assets.

In 1793, the crop was totally ravaged by a hailstorm on 31^st May.

In 1826, the first anti-hail rockets were tested, without great results...

In 1873, the crop was small in quantity but of exceptional quality.

1n 1880, all the vines froze and there was no harvest.

On 6^th May 1866, Edme-Auguste received a silver tastevin engraved with the imperial arms from the hands of Emperor Napoléon III, who was passing through Auxerre.

The first classification of Chablis wines took place.

At the top of the first cuvees were Les Clos, Valmur, Grenouilles, Mont de Milieu. In the second-ranked cuvees were mentioned Vaulorent, Vosgros, Côte de Léchet, Fourchaume, Vaucoupin.

On 14^th and 15^th May 1897, the vines froze completely and there was no harvest for this vintage.

In 1902, again, the crop was wiped out by frost.

In 1908, to fight against fraud, Louis became co-founder of the winemakers' union in Chablis.

In 1923, he became president of the union of owner-winemakers in Chablis. This also marked the beginning of the sale of wine in bottles at the domain.

Phylloxera arrived in the vineyards of Chablis, forcing winemakers to uproot all their vines over the years that followed. Thereafter, they would be replanted with American rootstocks. Mildew also appeared in 1886 for the first time and destroyed a large part of the crop.

Before phylloxera, there were 38,000 hectares of vines planted in the Yonne department. Today, there are less than 10,000 hectares.

The 1940s and 50s were marked by frost attacks, notably in 1945, 1951 and 1959.

In 1949, Marcel was the co-founder of the exhibition of wines of the Yonne (which was to become the wine festival in Chablis). Three years later, in 1952, he became president of the viticultural associations of the Yonne. A member of the INAO national wine institute, he was awarded the title of Officer of Agricultural Merit.

In 1953, Marcel was one of the founder members of the Confrérie des Piliers Chablisiens, the local wine fraternity in Chablis.

Protection against frost developed from the 1960s.

From 1973, Paul undertook to replant vines and to develop the bottling of wines produced at the domain.

1983 was an exceptional vintage, as much for quantity as for quality, producing wines for very long keeping.

Paul retired in 1992.

Jean-Paul started to work in the business in 1965, at the age of 14.

A first winery or chai was built in 1981. From 1984 to 1987, Jean-Paul and his wife Catherine bought and rebuilt an ensemble of cellars in the centre of Chablis. The replanting of the family vineyards continued.

In 2014, Jean-Paul retired and devoted himself to his passion for the archives of Chablis and its vineyards.

Benoît joined the domain in 1999, after his studies at the Wine College in Beaune and a national oenology diploma in Dijon.

A second winery was built at the foot of the Grand Cru hillside.

Commercial development continued. The entire production of the domain was bottled and sold directly, in France and 50 countries throughout the world.

Chablis welcomed Burgundy's grand Saint Vincent Tournante celebration, which took place for the first time outside the Côte d'Or.

Chablis again staged the Saint Vincent Tournante in Burgundy. Almost 150,000 persons attended the event. Chablis had never seen so many people!

The grapes ripened very quickly due to the heatwave. We attacked the harvest on 28^th August.

The harvest had not started in August for 312 years!

An eighth Premier Cru was introduced at the domain : our Mont-de-Milieu.

A ninth Premier Cru is now vinified at the domain, the Vaulorent, allowing the domain to make available five Premier Cru wines from the right bank of the Serein.

A difficult year for the vineyards of Chablis : spring frosts right to the top of the slopes, two hailstorms in May, mildew ... We lost half our crop. Certain domains didn't harvest at all !