Nathalie & Gilles Fèvre – 2016

Update 22.1.2018(16.1.2018)billn

Tasted in Fontenay-près-Chablis with Julie and Nathalie Fèvre, 16 January 2018.

Domaine Nathalie et Gilles Fèvre
Route de Chablis
89800 Fontenay-près-Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 18 94 47
www.nathalieetgillesfevre.com

Nathalie and Julie on 2017:
The yield for the villages Chablis was better in 2017 but for the 1ers it was better in 2016 – in 2016 we lost 70% i.e. it was about 17hl/ha – we lost ‘only’ 40% in 2016. So it’s still less than one harvest in 2 years.

Nathalie and Julie on 2016:
We lost more than 2/3rds of a standard harvest – part of the cuverie wasn’t even used. Our biggest cuvée is the villages Chablis with just over 100,000 bottles, but we have just over 40,000 bottles – clearly we didn’t sell anything to the négoce in 2016! The vintage of 2016 took a while to reach maturity, we were waiting and waiting.

Nathalie still doesn’t like the 2016 vintage – she has too many thoughts of the year are still in her head.

The wines…

I found really lovely wines on my visit – I’m sure that Nathalie will come to love them!

2017 Chablis
just for the fun – anyway they are a month ahead of the 16s if only from harvesting point of view.
Big, open, fresh, floral. Ooh, deep, fruity, but intense and melting. This is oh-so tasty wine, and much more overtly fruity that I had imagined from the many vigneron(ne) comments…

2016 Chablis
Bottled at the end of July / start of August
Wider, deeper, a little salinity. Deep, really a depth of citrus, slowly moving layers of flavour, an accent of citrus, this is a very concentrated wine, lingering long over the palate – super-impressive but it clearly needs time to open. The minerality coming through well.

2016 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
From close to the border with Vaupulent. Bottled same time as the last. 35-38 hl/ha – ‘correct’
A tiny toasty reduction slowly opening wider and wider – quite a classic nose. Concentrated, still, but more open than the first – a richness of flavour but mineral flavour – ooh this is really complex – super. Lingers really well – I love!

2016 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu
Always a little later maturing compared to Fourchaume or Vaulorent, despite direct south-facing – ‘its a mystery!’ In the centre of the vineyard. 15% oak, none new a mix of barrels and 500 litres. Bottled same day as Fourchaume.
A more open width – fine. Less aromatic depth to start. Direct, super agrume fruit, classic direct acidity, but soft-coated – this is really a super thing, faintly saline, long, mineral and full of interest. Beautiful wine.

2016 Chablis 1er Vaulorent
15% oak, just a little new too – bottled in August.
Vibrant, mineral nose – saline above. Ooh, direct, more overtly mineral, but with a sweetness of flavour adhering to the gums – little waves of finishing flavour. This is concentrated wine and will benefit from a little more time in bottle – but as always a super cuvée here – excellent – only right on the end of the finish is a slight barrel cream.

2016 Chablis Les Preuses
A normal harvest volume here – 37 hl/ha. 30% barrel aging – a mix of 500 litre and 228s – vines next to Willaim Fevre at the top of the slope. This is only in bottle about 1 month.
A nose that starts compact but opens more and more in the glass – always with depth but growing more mineral. Ooh – such a lovely combination of width and depth of flavour – a little richness of texture but beautifully balanced and slowly melting with flavour – ooh this is sooooo good! Bravo!

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