Tasted in Chablis with Olivier Masmondet, Estelle Roy & Brice Becard, 12 January 2023.
La Chablisienne
8, Boulevard Pasteur
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 42 89 89
www.chablisienne.fr
More reports with La Chablisienne
One of my usual tasting partners here at La Chablisienne was Vincent Bartement. After many years here, he’s gone to head up an Oenology Lab. In his place are oenologists Brice Becard who had just been in position a few weeks and Estelle Roy who has been here since 2019 and previoulsy worked at Chateau de Marsannay and Chateau des Jacques in Moulin à Vent.
Olivier and Estelle on 2022:
“The 2022s look good – they are very clean. It’s been possible to replenish our volumes a little too. They don’t have the highest acidities but they are tasting well and are not at all heavy.”
Olivier and Estelle on 2021:
“Along with 2016 it’s one of the lowest volumes here. Most of the wines are bottled but not all at this stage.”
The wines…
I think I may have noted more great wines here in the 2020 vintage – but subsequently, some turned out to have pyrazines. I think the smaller number of great wines I’ve chosen from 2021 should be greater!
None of the GCs were bottled at this time – bottling in another week. Since 2018 it’s all DIAM style seals here except the use of some Nomarcorc occasionally for the Petit Chablis:
2021 Petit Chablis Pa Si Petit
Hmm – a little noble reduction here. Mouth-filling – full of energy, plenty of joy – just a juicy, happy wine. Delicious and excellent – it’s more than quite long too!
2021 Petit Chablis Dame Nature AB
A broader base of aroma – darker citrus – almost lime. Fuller, very faintly greener but all seems good – there’s certainly a little extra intensity and salinity in this finish.
2021 Chablis Le Finage
Multiple origins, of-course with a tank elevage like the previous Petit Chablis(s).
More floral, even a bit of boiled sweets. Broader – I like the scale and shape of this – it’s another zesty wine that just keeps getting better and better as you head into the finish – it’s lovely.
2021 Chablis Dame Nature AB
Organic vines, all tank elevage.
Even more floral. Wide, vibrant, very different in style – more complexity of agrume citrus, less zesty. I like the energy and there’s a bit more finishing finesse here – finishing nicely pure and with ease.
In tank. Some old vine parcels in here. Parts with a little elevage in wood. To be bottled next week
A broad and airy yellow-citrus nose – lovely. More structure, more chalky yet softer at the edges. Love the finishing depth and chalkiness – that’s a really fine 21 – bravo!
A nose with clarity of fruit and power – deeper – very different. Hmm – mouth-filling, less overtly structured but still very mineral and with many directions to its flavours. Strong and persistent. Another potentially great wine.
2021 Chablis 1er Beauroy
Beauroy and a little Troemes
A more saline nose. Hmm, rounder, still good width, the oak a little present here – but I expect in 1-2 years it won’t be visible.
2021 Chablis 1er Côte de Léchet
The biggest 1er cru cuvée of La Chablisienne. This bottled
More airy freshness. Direct, mineral, growing in clean, clear width – nicely textured. A wine with a small hint of mineral austerity – keep it two years – the finish is a fine cascade of interest. A very fine wine!
2021 Chablis 1er Montmains
Mainly Butteaux, a little (10%) Forêts and a little Montmains too! ‘Here is more clay, here comes more volume, it’s about the roots, not the sun!’
A fresh, more comfortable width of salinity here – lovely. Supple, overtly mineral, small, growing, complex intensities. There’s concentration in these middle flavours – that’s really excellent wine – remaining really complex in the long finish.
2021 Chablis 1er Vaillons
This and Beauroy the only wines in this series not bottled
A middle width, nicely saline – still rather attractive. That’s a special Vaillons – it’s complex, but not really together, a little zesty – not the Vaillons that I recognize today but it’s a tasty wine.
2021 Chablis 1er Les Lys
Also a part of Vaillons – of-course. Only old wood here – 6 years or so.
A nice core of clean fresh yellow citrus – I really appreciate this clarity. Supple and very silky – a hint of barrel – but the apparent generosity is not overdone. Broad and very impressively finishing.
2021 Chablis 1er l’Homme Mort
Hmm, this has a nice and easy attractive style – a fine and louche agrume invitation. Hmm (again) – here is an impressive vibration of complex fruit – the barrel practically gone. Holding a super finish – simply excellent wine.
Vaupulent and Côte de Fontenay
A hint more floral with extra focus to the citrus aromatics. A little gas but this is liquid minerals – fluid, gorgeous wine – a little ripeness in the middle and finishing flavours but what a wine – bravo!
Hmm- very different, almost a smoky, fumé, element to this minerality. Another, fluid, dynamic, mineral wine – even a little more intensity here – another great wine.
In the triangle at the centre of MdT
A little barrel cream aroma but also a little mandarin-style flesh. Here is volume, here is (lime) stone. This could be great like the previous two but I would be drinking those while waiting for this – the barrel, whilst modest, is more apparent here.
2021 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu
Two parcels Chablis and Fleys side. The only one of this series not yet bottled.
A little bit of menthol. Attractive aromatics. Here is energy, here is complexity – almost too much energy to focus! Holding well. I’d wait 5 years for this – super long!
2021 Chablis Bougros
Higher in Bougros next to Preuses
A super and vibrantly clean, pure, agrume aromatic – that’s lovely, even an occasional suggestion of aniseed. Great shape in the mouth – fuller more concentrated, but still with super balance – the barrel is subtle today.
2021 Chablis Blanchots
Nice width and fine clarity. Supple – more fluid in style. More direct, less flesh – less weight but definitely no lesser wine – it’s just super!
2021 Chablis Les Clos
From the top of the Clos – two suppliers
More direct, slightly fumé nose. Broader, more mouth-filling – not quite opulent but liquid minerality here, once more. That’s a very impressive wine – Finishing broadly and slowly mouth-watering too. A great length.
Fine and floral top notes over a more serious(ly good) width of minerality. Oh yes, like the chalky Chablis, this is so beautifully crafted, mineral, accented by the limestone and its citrus – chalky finishing. Great wine.
2021 Chablis Château Grenouilles
That’s a fine and complex, beautifully focused aromatic complexity. Less together than the Preuses today – it’s less ready but here is a lot of impressive complexity – it will be at least excellent – maybe more.