La Meulière – 2015

2.2.2017billn

Tasted with Vincent Laroche in Fleys, 11 January 2017.

Domaine de la Meulière
18, route de Mont de Milieu
89800 Fleys
Tel: +33 3 86 42 13 56
www.chablis-meuliere.com

Vincent on 2016:
Obviously it was a strange climate. In Milly we had ‘only’ the frost, but it cost us 50% of our harvest. Strong rain then mildew followed. We lost also due to coulure as it was hot when the frosted vines flowered. Areas not frosted had a normal yield. A small percentage was lost due to grillage (sun-burn), but it was a relatively insignificant amount vs what was lost to the frost. It’s looking like a typical vintage for Chablis – less fruit than 2015, more freshness, a good vintage with mediocre volumes.

Vincent on 2015:
2015 has flattering wines that are easy to approach. We were not hailed here, but it was close – only 200 metres away! Correct yields for Chablis, less in the 1ers as we have more older vines – I would say a normal volume. Quality-wise its a year of much sun with lots of fruit, great for most consumers, of more modest interest to people who consider themselves specialists. I think the wines will go well with spiced foods!

“For me, 2015 is a mix of 2006 and 2007. 20O7 had a couple of episodes of hail so there are really two types of 07s, hailed and not, and the quality is very different. But in the vines 2015 was an easy vintage, a dream for viticulteurs, with much fewer treatments, et-cetera. But for purists(?)

The wines…

All harvested by hand, using ‘a minimum’ of sulfur. It’s a wide range here, so today we are concentrating on the wines with a little shorter elevage. Mainly bottled at the beginning of September. There are two bottlings per year, the most mineral come later. These wines all has a stainless-steel elevage, apart from a small amount of wood in the Fourneaux.

Another good result, I think:

2015 Petit Chablis
Above Fleys, and mainly on Kimmerigian – there’s not much Portlandian in Fleys! Just 0.5 ha in a sunny spot. ‘An anecdotal volume compared to most of our cuvees.’
A good fresh and nicely detailed purity of aroma. Direct, a little rigour for the vintage but still a generous, slightly muscled fruit behind. Citrus, towards green fruit, tasty and with good length too. ‘Normally recommend drinking between 6 and 18 months from bottling.

2015 Chablis
From 3 sectors; Beru, Chichee and Fleys – 18 ha of chablis in total – but mostly in Fleys.
Hmm, this is nicely mineral, accented with fine yellow citrus. Excellent in the mouth, very mineral and saline – more like a 1er cru in style. Wide, good texture, plenty of energy – bravo! A nice finishing wave of classic flavour too.

2015 Chablis 1er Les Fourneaux
2 parcels, relatively young average age – 22 years, tank and just a small (5%) amount of oak.
Wide, classic seashore nose with freshness and a tiny accent of citrus – just what you want! In the mouth a little rigour from the minerality, but fresh, detailed and nice over the palate. A very good wine, and more classic than the vintage might suggest. Excellent finish. ‘As a minimum, wait until the end of 2017 to drink. I would preferably say 3-5 years of wait time

2015 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
0.28 ha, 37-year-old vines. Looking towards Vaulorent – south, south-west-facing.
Also a fine freshness and citrus, here a little more ripeness to the yellow fruit – very attractive. Larger in the mouth – more volume, a little softer texture, plenty of ripe fruit – yet on a nice wave of freshness into the finish. Again just a little more finishing rigour and fine mineral length. Very good.

2015 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu
From 2.5 ha, 50 years average age of the vines. ‘It’s our grand cru. Between 5-10 years its super, don’t quote me on 30 years, but really it will be fine in 15!’
Hmm, more considered, but also more complex fine citrus notes – lovely – slowly adding a floral dimension too. Not the biggest nose, but the one with the nicest smile. Also plenty of volume but also a cool fruit with plenty of width and very nicely mouth-watering flavour, good complex flavour. The finish is mineral, but a little less austere than previous wines. A bigger volume of clean and attractive finishing flavour. Not super overt, but really a beauty.

2015 Chablis 1er Vaucoupin
From 0.60 ha – 43 years old vines. Not yet commercialised. Exposition south-west, classic argilo-calcaire, the roots can penetrate well, lots of millerandes here.
Fresh, wide, classic seashore with faint points of citrus. A wine of fine volume, lots of citrus, really a fine wine that couldn’t come from anywhere else but Chablis. The citrus is a little lime tinged in the finish and again long over a mineral underlay. Lovely but to wait for.

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