Tasted in Maligny with Olivier Savary, 26 January 2023.
Domaine Francine et Olivier Savary
4 Chemin des Hâtes
89800 Maligny
Tel: +33 3 86 47 42 09
www.chablis-savary.com
More reports with Domaine Savary
Olivier on 2022:
“A couple of weeks ago we did a first small bottling and are planning a second in February – I’ve never seen so little stock, and it’s not just the small harvest that’s talking, I really think dry white wine, in general, is more in demand. Since 2016 we’ve only really had 2018 which was a good volume – here depending on the sector it was 30-50% of a normal volume in 2021. In 2022 we had frost the same week as in 2021 but the vines were a little less advanced than in 21 – we lost something but the vines recovered well – we still didn’t achieve 60 hl/ha though – so no VCI but we still had a good volume. 2022 is a very good vintage when you consider how it started – but importantly it’s not a vintage that will replenish the stocks.”
The wines…
A lesser know but consistently excellent producer with some top-level entry wines in 2021.
All were bottled:
A small parcel in Villé the rest all from Maligny.
Hmm- a faintly smoky impression then lovely salinity – expressive and attractive. Mouth-filling, clean, architectural and mouth-watering, faintly cushioned at the end – that’s really fine! Large finishing and almost a hint creamy!
2021 Chablis
Like the Petit Chablis, this has only a tank elevage. Vines in Maligny and Villé again
More breadth – and still plenty of freshness. A hint more serious structure – more mineral and intense – this is super too – but I’d wait a year more – or so! Another simply super wine and beautifully mouth-watering and slightly chalky too.
2021 Chablis Hommage
A parcel with the morning sun – vines of 35-36 years old – that looks across the valley to the VV but the soil and exposure are different. All tank elevage
More direct, a little green herb in this direct nose. Direct, intense – über-mineral wine – perhaps a faint pyrazine in this one. Vibrant energy – ultra mineral – the essence of ‘no-prisoners’ Chablis. If you are pyrazine insensitive a simply excellent ultra-classic wine.
A cuvée since 1995. A single parcel of 50-year-old vines. Two neighbouring parcels this the opposite side of the valley to the ‘Hommage’
A fuller nose – it’s more exciting. This is more mouth-filling – I could say rounder but there’s such a structure here that this would be misleading. Just a hint more relaxed and mouth-filling – the middle and finishing flavours are both generous and gorgeous – that’s a great villages – long and a little chalky texture in this finish – bravo!
2021 Chablis 1er Vaillons
A contract with a friend – ‘but for grapes’ – the same parcel each year.
Deep, vibrant energetic nose – perhaps a little pyrazine again. Beautifully shaped, mineral and melting – but yes a modest accent of green here. The finish long and direct – practically excellent for the insensitive and again with a slightly chalky texture in the finish.
2021 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
More width and a more floral aroma too. I like the shape here, the melting flavour – slightly savoury but also floral in the middle – this needs to open out more here – but it’s at least very good – the florals continuing long into the finish too – lots of finesse to this wine and a super finish too.
and newly bottled – 2 weeks:
2022 Petit Chablis
Hmm – that’s relatively calm for a 22 – a ripeness of fruit but not too ripe – though today, it’s mainly fruit. Mouth-filling and energetic – this wine follows the 2021 1ers without a hint of stress. Full, decent energy, fine texture too.