Les vins de Bourgogne, Chablis Grand Cru 1942

This detailed 1942 map comes from the Atlas de la France Vinicole, a celebrated work by Louis Larmat, dedicated to documenting the geography of France’s great wine regions. The sheet focuses specifically on Chablis and its prestigious Grand Cru vineyards, offering both a geographic and viticultural portrait of the region.

The map illustrates the valley surrounding the town of Chablis and the course of the Serein River, whose slopes host some of Burgundy’s most renowned vineyards. Colored sections identify vineyard areas and appellations, highlighting the subtle variations in terrain and exposure that influence the character of the wines produced there.

Larmat’s atlas was remarkable for its combination of cartographic precision and wine scholarship. Rather than presenting simple geographic maps, the work aimed to visually explain the relationship between soil, landscape, and viticulture. Through carefully shaded reliefs, color coding, and detailed labeling, the atlas reveals how vineyard parcels are distributed across the hillsides surrounding Chablis.

The Grand Cru vineyards, considered the most prestigious classification within Chablis, occupy a relatively small but historically significant area on the right bank of the Serein River. Their unique limestone-rich soils and favorable exposure contribute to the distinctive mineral character for which Chablis wines are celebrated worldwide.

Published during the early 1940s, Larmat’s atlas quickly became an important reference for wine professionals, historians, and collectors. Its maps provided one of the earliest systematic visual studies of French vineyard geography, capturing the structure of wine appellations at a time when modern classification systems were still developing.

Today, original maps from the Atlas de la France Vinicole are valued not only as historical documents but also as works of graphic design. Their elegant composition, precise typography, and careful use of color transform technical information into visually compelling representations of France’s great wine landscapes.

Original Poster

Alcohol - Wine - Burgundy - France

Map of the Yonne department

Printed by Dorel in Paris

Good condition, one crease