Tasted in Chablis with Patrick, 05 January 2017.
Patrick Piuze
25 rue Emile Zola
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 18 85 73
www.patrickpiuze.com
Last year I tasted with Sylvie as Patrick was having an operation on his foot – he quickly dismisses it and says that all is now well.
Patrick on 2016:
“A gros merde! The quality is actually not bad, but there was the frost, the corridor of the hail, mildew and botrytis. I had to find some new contracts – for instance a great Bourgogne from Tonnerre. The grand crus were not bad as they are largely protected, but mildew caused a lot of problems. Relatively low alcohols and acidities so I harvested early, but finally they taste good. Of-course I can’t escape that there is 40-45% less wine; prices will have to go up for me, just look at the bulk contracts for 2016 villages Chablis – they went up nearly 40%!”
Patrick on 2015:
“A belle année chaud. Early on it reminds of 2009 or 2011, but it’s not like 2003. The hail, just before the harvest, came at 1am, and there were two epicentres; Les Clos/Blanchots for example, so I harvested virtually straight away. Fortunately, it was the leaves that took the most of the shock. It’s definitely a commercial vintage, pleasing, and it tasted good right from the start. I think it’s a really useful vintage after the 2014s, but one that will live long. It’s an année tendre, but it’s still Chablis…”
The wines…
The last bottlings were completed in July – “It’s a tender vintage so all done earlier for the freshness.”
2015 Petit Chablis
From Le Petit Preuses on Kimmerigian terroir between Bougros and Preuses. Bottled Easter.
Wide, a faint herb but ripe at the core. Round, growing intensity, long, fine finishing. Tasty, clean and yum PC!
From the villages part of Vaulorent.
Hmm, classy, beautiful nose. Extra, depth, layers of flavour. Really gorgeous. Top Chablis!
2015 Chablis Terroirs de Courgis
Here was the first epicentre of the hail.
Hmm, a greener citrus, floral, with a hint reduction. Hmm, lovely texture, weight but also freshness too – it’s a ripe lime style of flavour. Excellent wine, though I prefer the flavour profile of the last. Very long!
2015 Chablis Terroirs de Chablis
From the north-facing slopes of Forets.
Aromatically, almost a blend of the last two; lime but also classic with more depth. Fuller, but fresh, waves of flavour – very flattering, faintly salted. Long and very tasty!
2015 Chablis Terroirs de Fyes
Chapelots lieu-dit where there’s more limestone, versus the clay of Courgis.
Hmm, fresh, a little depth. Inviting nose. Finer in the mouth, more direct and mouth-watering, growing in intensity. Good weight in the finish. Great length
From Les Parges, was a tête de cuvée for the monks – ‘It’s our Clos St.Jacques, it should be a premier!’
A wide nose, deep, perhaps a twist of reduction – very attractive. Lithe, clean, mouth-wateringly complex – this gets bigger and better all the time – a beauty!
From ‘Melinots’ at the end of the valley – which is also the warmest part of that cru.
Deep, good complexity. Lovely over the palate, fresh, melting flavours, sweet acidity. Perfect Chablis!
Ooh, that’s nice complex citrus fruit, just a suggestion of warmth below, but it’s a very attractive suggestion. Line, a certain strict start, slowly melting flavour – younger than the last but sleeker and finer too, excellent again.
A new wine, the name meaning brambles. It’s part of Vaillons, planted east west
A vibrant nose, subtly reduced – nice. Hmm, this is so complex, mouth-watering, but clean and energetic – yes! Then a burst pf flavour. Top!
2015 Chablis 1er Butteaux
Wide, fresh, faint herb. In the mouth too, this is energetic but complex too, lots of interest, the flavour profile that goes a little deeper. Saline, long and tasty finishing.
A clean, beautiful, classic nose. A hint of warmth to the flavours, but delivered in complex, fresh, style. Lots of mid-palate interest. Less overtly intense but super yum! Finishing with ‘delicousness’ and a faint salty tang. Yes!
2015 Chablis Bougros
Hmm, wider, lovely but less overtly complex at this stage. Hmm, here is weight but also fine balance, a little more texture and lots of mid-palate complexity – a more considered and weighty delivery, this finish is the best part and its gorgeous…
Hmm, fresher, finer fruit, clearly much more aromatic interest here. Fresher, more overtly complex, growing flavour. A burst of mid-palate complexity and a long fading note. Less easy than the last, but clearly greater – drink the previous, first.
2015 Chablis Blanchots
Not the steepest part, deeper soil here, ‘but the grower is good.’
The nose is a little more diffuse, but larger in volume. Fine, mineral flavour, growing wider and wider, hmm – this is more like the last in its, younger, slightly more austere (in a 2015 context) character. Super wine.
2015 Chablis Valmur
Higher top notes, a faint lime – salted lime. More direct, then slowly melting at the edges, the flavour growing, slightly spiced and salted, fresh pear, lovely wine, wide and long finishing. Yum!
2015 Chablis Preuses
An agrume nose, deep, probably a subtle reduction here. Very mineral, but with enough padding at the edges not to seem austere. Really a weight, a solid ball of mid-palate complexity. Long, fading flavours. Less demonstrative than some, but packed with material!
2011 Chablis Terroir Decouvertes
Biscuity, interesting – nice interesting. Lithe, complex, full of energy, long, tasty, this is not unlike the 15s in shape. Almost a little petrol style here – aromatic and lovely.