Tasted in Chablis with Laurent and Marie-Laure Robin, 11 January 2022.
Domaine Antoine et Laurent Robin
9 chemin sous les clos
Avenue d’Oberwesel
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 6 80 66 54 35
www.antoineetlaurentrobin.com
Laurent is the father and Antoine is the son – but Antoine was on an errand – so I tasted with Laurent and Marie-Laure.
Their new buildings look directly at the vines of Les Clos and are the last buildings after those of Willaim Fevre. The domaine has been here since 2018 and was begun by joining the holdings of Laurent and a cousin. Laurent was previously with coop for 35 years and the domaine Guy Robin is, of course, part of the same family here in Chablis.
They have been bottling for 3 years, first vinifying their VCI from 2018 – 6,000 bottles but in 2020 they doubled the amount. They now bottle about 10% of what is produced from their 13.5 hectare exploitation – one with many plots of 70-year-old vines – and the rest is still sold in bulk to négociants: “The local ones, rather than the ones from Beaune…”
They are already doing some export to UK/Germany/Denmark and Canada.
Laurent on 2021:
“In 35 years I haven’t seen a vintage with a volume so low – we managed half a harvest, partly because we have a lot of old vines.”
The wines…
A few of the wines needed air to open up but the Vaillons and Blanchots were open from the start. Clean, very tasty wines at this new address – good stuff!
The technical corks are cork-amalgum centred with a layer of cork on both ends:
2020 Petit Chablis
Here’s a medium intensity, slightly narrow but quite pure nose – it’s a good invitation. Open, easy, a certain elegance but there’s also a nice melting style to this. The finish is excellent – lovely, open, slightly mineral Delicious and elegant – lovely wine!
2020 Chablis
From the Vallée de Valvon – behind the coop – lots of old vines here planted since the 1950s…
Here the nose starts a little tight, opening slowly and widening, becoming airy. More structural, serious but not severe, also a melting style of flavour. Nicely textured and the flavour, like the for the PC, melting over the palate. That’s an attractive wine – delicious and long. The finish a little less ‘extra’ impact vs the PC but still long…
2020 Chablis 1er Vaillons
Have about 10 different parcels – this particular wine is Sechets but it will be a different parcel for the 21 wine. ‘I want to see the differences’
That’s a much more perfumed nose – with extra flowers – but supported by a mineral clarity too. Extra concentration, extra salinity – a little floral perfume in the mouth too. I like this a lot – there’s a little rigour to the structure/minerality but the flavour is delicious – give it two years to relax – the finish is super.
This is a little tighter again, air slowly liberating a complex mix of citrus. Hmm – that’s really lovely – and completely different – here in a direct and mineral style, really quite fluid and beautifully textured. Subtly but long finishing – this is my new favourite – not a big wine but bravo!
2020 Chablis Blanchot
That’s open and concentrated – lots of inviting perfume – really a super perfume. Supple, obviously concentrated, modestly saline. This is a wine that grows and grows in the mouth, widening in aspect. The finish is super again – this is another excellent wine