Tasted in Fleys with Lucie Thieblemont and Charly Nicolle, 15 January 2018.
Domaine Charly Nicolle
17, rue des Près Giraud
89800 Fleys
Tel: +33 3 86 42 80 08
www.chablis-charlynicolle.com
Charly on the 2017:
“2017 – correct yields, not extravagant.”
Charly on the 2016:
“Never seen a season like it in 3 generations of the family. Rain, cold, frost – all the domaine’s vines were subject to frost – of-course some more than others. Almost no explanation for why some parts more frosted than others – really there’s no coherence. Flowering was difficult afterwards. We lost not quite half the harvest. I started the harvest a little early as there was some porriture, having to adapt harvesting on a by-parcel basis to keep with the maturity. In the end I’m very surprised – in a good way. Worked with more lees almost a more aggressive winemaking but the wines are just so good, I couldn’t have hoped for such a result during the growing-season!”
The wines…
The wines this year have a family resemblance – they are all brothers and sisters – but what a beautiful family! Simply a super range in 2016.
From plateau above Fleys and Chichée – about 40% of a normal harvest. This and the Chablis sealed with DIAM.
A nice big nose, a mix of herbs and yellow fruit. Ooh, that’s direct, lots of acidity and intensity but with really ingraining flavour, a little pineapple, no austerity, lovely, lovely wine. Bravo.
2016 Chablis Per Aspera
Usually about 12 hectares represented by this wine.
Deep, almost a vibration of interesting energy. Ripe yellow but fresh fruit. Round again but more direct and at the same time transparent. Lots of concentration but remaining elegant and absolutely delicious.
Two parcels overlooking the village of Fleys – steep, south-facing, and very warm in the summer.
Ooh much brighter, more seashore, flashes of fine fruit. Ooh, layered, fresh, a suggestion of richness but with such a beautiful intensity of pure yellow fruit. Bravo… a reprise of finishing flavour too.
2016 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu
Also direct south-facing with less clay than Fourneaux but with more limestone. The domaine’s oldest vines are here, indeed virtually all are old vines.
A deeper, more compact, denser nose – very attractive all the same. Ooh, this is super – lithe, transparent, layered. Really delicious. Nose is opening, becoming ever more in the style of the Fourneaux – Excellent!
Bought from a friend and bottled a little later than the previous wines.
Richer deeper but also more vibrant – this is lovely. Becoming finer. Extra richness but minerals not fruit. Mouth-watering, becoming wider and wider, long, fabulous.