Tasted with Paul Espitalié in Chablis, on a very cold -8°C morning, 16 January 2024.
Simonnet-Febvre
9 Avenue Oberwesel
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 18 95 69
www.simonnet-febvre.com
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Paul on 2022:
“We’re very happy with 2022 – 57 hl/ha – and no VCI. We like the maturity & freshness, there’s lots of fruit and roundness too – just here and there are places where the acidity is a bit low – it’s heterogeneous! We did light some candles in the grand crus and had no problems but we also had no problems in areas where we had no candles! The wines are really good – we think particularly for the reds though the whites will also be very good. We didn’t have high yields for the reds – about 40 hl/ha and we didn’t push the extractions but the triage wasn’t really an important factor in 2022.”
The wines…
All the grand crus had been in bottle for just 1 week when I tasted – but all were showing well. I liked the reds too. The rest of the whites were good but hardly better – I thought this producer made much nicer whites – but not reds! – in 2021…
DIAM style seals for the Petit Chablis and the Chablis – the rest, including Chablis Cuvée 1840 are normal cork:
2022 Bourgogne Epineuil
Not bottled.
Lots of aromatic depth but the interest is in the higher tones and their slightly smoked perfume. Lots of gas today but it’s juicy and finishing rather elegantly over the palate – that’s very pretty.
2022 Irancy
This an assembly cuvée of many parcels
Medium colour. A nose of cherry-fruited width. Intense, more linear wine than the Epineuil – fine finishing intensity with a little licorice. That’s lovely!
2022 Irancy Paradis
Extra breadth to this slightly darker fruited nose – here with some oak elevage faintly visible. Broader again, extra intensity and this time with more floral complexity. That’s a very lovely wine – super!
2022 Irancy Mazelots
That’s a super perfume – there’s depth here. Mouth-filling, the bitters and tannins are more visible in this wine. Larger scale but leaches delicious finishing flavour over the palate. Wait quite a bit longer for this one – maybe 3-5 years. Drink the Paradis whilst waiting!
2022 Irancy Vaupessiot
This was 16° in 2020 but it’s only just over 13° in 2022. One of the sunniest locations in Irancy – near Palotte on the same south-facing hillside.
This has a different depth and a slightly smoky maturity. Lots of tannin but ripe and less intrusive today than the Mazelots – helped by lots of volume – the bitters are more forward though. Super wine though another wine to wait for – and at least 3 years I think.
2022 Coteaux Bourguignons César
Extra depth of colour vs the pinots. A narrow nose, some depth too – but it’s quite okay. Large-scaled in the mouth – breadth of flavour with plenty of tannin but actually less drying than the previous two wines – for César this is quite elegant.
Les Whites:
2022 Bourgogne Aligoté
Lovely open, fresh yellow citrus – that’s a super invitation. Hmm, melting over the palate, an almost mint-leaf accent,- autosuggestion as it’s from near St.Bris? Tasty wine.
2022 Saint-Bris
Largest market for this is the US
More open depth of aroma with a faint mint. Some gas – open and with a nice energy. The finish of this is more intense and interesting. This is delicious.
2022 Bourgogne Chitry
Deep, faintly smoky, saline aromatic. Broad, clean, juicy favoured wine. This is excellent – and very chalky in style – a super Bourgogne.
2022 Petit Chablis
All contracts, principally from Lignorelles. More of this each year is classed as organic but not the full cuvée yet.
A more mineral and aromatic width. Intense, a more sour style vs the Chitry. Complex, slightly reductive finishing flavours – but long too.
2022 Chablis
Grapes from Courgis, Prehy, Lignorelles – multiple locations.
Also vibrantly mineral but here with an extra sucrosity that invites. The flavour has some scale and is more herbed in style. I love the nose, a little less the flavour.
2022 Chablis D1840
Bottom of Chapelots under Montée de Tonnerre. – separate bottling for this since 2018. 25% elevage in barrel – 380-litre barrels
The nose has depth. In the mouth also a little sucrosity and some herb too. I like the shape of this and the length impresses – the flavour profile today, like the last, I’m less sure.
2022 Chablis 1er Beauroy
This has a nice width of quite complex aromatics. Lovely in the mouth – melting over the palate, then with a long and quite mineral line of finishing flavour. That’s very good!
2022 Chablis 1er Côte de Lechets
Width of fresh yellow citrus and an impression of minerality – this has a nice invitation. Depth of mineral flavour. Chalky in style – almost luminous wine. Strong but elegant. Finishing well – super wine.
2022 Chablis 1er Vaillons
Organic.
A shimmering mineral nose with pretty yellow citrus accents. Clean, relatively direct – flavours that grow in intensity. Some finishing zestiness too. I like it!
2022 Chablis 1er Montmains
A little extra top notes and energy here – a nice nose. In the mouth, this is more melting and delicious. The finish is broad and also delicious. Super!
2022 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
Multiple parcels including a mix of Côte de Fontenay and Homme Mort
Another wine with a nice aromatic clarity. Fine scale and this flavour is framed by some salinity. Beautifully finishing – that’s another lovely wine – finishing more with a grainy texture.
2022 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu
1.3 ha here.
Less width but a good depth of aroma that’s more mineral in style. More relaxed width of flavour, melting easily over the palate – mineral for sure, and finishing with persistence. Very good.
2022 Chablis 1er Montée de Tonnèrre
There is some middle concentration in these mineral aromatics. A small reduction but the shape and juiciness of the wine balances that less attractive flavour. The finish sustains well. Good wine.
2022 Chablis Blanchots
Half barrel elevage but never with new ones.
Hmm – this is an elegant nose and it implies florals too. I really love the shape and texture of this. Very complex, easy going but long too. It’s a great combination of assets – I like it very much.
2022 Chablis Les Clos
Vines from the bottom of the hill.
Airy, open aromas – inviting. Hmm, this has that lovely combination of structure that melts over the palate and flavour that seems to keep growing. It’s a delicious wine of fine shape and complexity.
2022 Chablis Preuses
Vines touching on Moutonne.
A little extra depth of aroma here and also a hint floral. Mouth-filling, contemplative but mineral. A burst of finishing flavour – the first – and finishing with an almost spiced accent to the minerality – That’s an excellent Preuses. Yum!