Tasted in Chablis with Patrice Vorcoret, 11 January 2016.
Domaine Vocoret et Fils
40 Route d’Auxerre
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 42 12 53
www.domaine-vocoret.com
There have been Vocorets noted in Chablis since at least 1740. One Edouard Vocoret began buying vineyards and his son, Robert, did his first bottlings – way back in 1936. Today, it’s Robert’s grandson, Patrice, who makes the wine, whilst Patrice’s cousin, Jérôme, is in charge of the vineyards.
They own 40 hectares – Patrice’s son, Eduard, having recently been set up with 5 hectares. Fermentations are in demi-muids and large 35 hectolitre foudres, as well as stainless-steel tanks. About 10-15% of their annual ~300,000 bottles are sold direct, about 60% are exported and a large part end up in ‘grand distribution’ – or supermarkets to you and me. There are about 15 labels used here, but with different supermarkets et-cetera…
Patrice on the last 2 vintages:
“We began the 02 September for the 2015 vintage, more like the 11 September for the 2014s. There was quite a lot of effect on the 15s from hail, we lost about 15% but pressed fairly quickly – just 1-1.5 hours. In the end 2015 had almost the same yields as in 2014.”
The wines…
They are just about moving to 2014s from the 2013 vintage, here. Almost all the 2014s are now bottled – usually done in December. A good set of wines, some of which I’d be very happy to open for friends…
2014 Chablis
Bottled just after the harvest.
Medium yellow colour. Fresh, sweet, green citrus. Nice texture, depth, some layering of flavour. Actually this a wine with some flavour richness, unlike the nose this is more in the direction of sweet lime flavour. It’s rather tasty.
2014 Chablis
This from bottle – as there’s more than one bottling – but Thomas can’t/won’t say its 100% the same. Bottled 1 month.
Deep, fresh, pretty high and low tones. Wider quite intense and direct, even after some of the 1ers!
2014 Chablis 1er Montmains
Wide, bright, a freshness with a suggestion of oak notes in there somewhere. Lovely width, pure and layered again. I really like this line of fresh flavour – more classically yellow citrus than the lime of the Chablis. Lovely wine.
2014 Chablis 1er Montée de Tonnerre
Whilst typically fresh, there’s more of an impression of riper yellow fruit here – but with admirable clarity too. Lithe, wide, waves of flavour and a finishing note of salinity. Super!
2.12 ha owned here.
This is really deep, topped with some floral references, more mineral below. Large-scaled, vibrant flavour and energy. A growing salinity and ever-growing width of flavour. I’ve tasted purer, but I’ve not tasted tastier! – yum!
Medium lemon yellow. Wide, yellow-fruited, a nicely vibrant nose. Rounder, lovely complexity, a hint of sweetness, this is super engaging and tasty, pure faintly sweetly citrus character. Excellent 2013!
2013 Chablis Les Clos
Ooh! – directly mineral, faint reduction – gunflint style – and a suggestion of flowers too. Here is, of-course, bigger, rounder, nicely layered wine with good texture, but I find a level of sweetness that suggest a little botrytis and probably a little more sweet oak too – for that reason, tasty and complex as this is, I prefer the Forêts.
Fresh, pure, inviting nose. Vibrant, complex and beautifully, really beautifully mouth-watering flavour. Lovely width and length of flavour. This is really super.
2011 Chablis 1er Forêts
Classic (for me) 2011 with an aromatic that shows pyrazine/asparagus notes – here more pyrazine – which I prefer! In the mouth this is actually very lovely, the pyrazine carries through, a little, but there’s a fine, wide mid-palate flavour that is very attractive. Good finish too.
2009 Chablis Les Clos
Complex, almost vibrant, the oak of the previous is melted and more faintly spiced. Big, round, silky, a line of minerality, and really excellent complexity – sweetness and modest oak references. Lovely, but I’d wait even a bit longer.