Tasted in Chablis with Didier Seguier, 10 January 2023.
Domaine William Fèvre
21, avenue Oberwesel
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 98 98 98
www.williamfevre.com
More reports with Domaine William Fevre
Didier on 2022:
“Yes we were a little frost in the high vines – the plateaus and Viviers – but this year the second generation of grapes actually made wine – as much as 50% in some places – 45-50 hl/ha which is perfect for us. Nice clean grapes with good maturity. Our fermentations were easy and the malos are just about finished now – still plenty of malic but less than in 2021 – a sunny year for sure – maybe with some early bottlings in some places too due to the general lack of volume.”
Didier on 2021:
“About the same as in 2016 here for volume – Chablis 18 hl/ha, the best sectors with maybe 30 hl/ha. We had aspersion for 13-14 days – the lake of Beines was nearly empty at the end. There was a lot of botrytis – in that respect, it reminded me of 2001 and they still taste great – the wines are expressive and the aromas are fresh and show their terroirs. Some wines were close to 11.5 but most over 12, up to 12.5-12.6 – in 2008 the maturity was much lower but in the end more by concentration than phenolic maturity – they still need 10 years in many cases – 1996 was similar, maturity by concentration… These wines started quite meagre – the change and development (positive development!) started from about October… There’s no artificial concentration – ie one vine with 60 hl/ha and two vines with nothing – all the vines had very little.”
The wines…
Another masterclass chez William Fevre – you can practically choose your wines blind…
Only the first two wines are bottled – PC October, Chablis November – the rest not before March-April – ‘it’s not the clients who decide when we bottle, it’s the wines that decide:’
Bought grapes and must – normally 100k bottles – of course less in 2021.
Almost a smoky width of beautiful, highly attractive, complexity. A touch of austerity but it’s lip-smacking with citrus complexity and super clarity. This is for keeping 12 months but it will certainly be great!
2021 Chablis
48 hectares of vines with an average age of 50 years – ‘more than most 1er crus’, bottled November.
Extra floral top notes, with extra ripeness of citrus below. A little more supple but no less concentrated and intense. Slowly fading flavours that are still a hint floral. A beauty.
2021 Chablis 1er Montmains
3.8 ha Butteaux (mainly) plus Forets, Montmains – about the same each of those two
A little floral note – white flowers – subtly mineral in the base. This is a mineral, chalky wine, still with a fine texture and energy – lovely citrus intensity in the middle and finishing flavours. Precise and excellent – certainly a great finish.
One of the earliest harvesting areas. First organic vineyard for Fevre in 2006. 3.5 hectares mainly ‘Vaillons’ but a little Minot, Roncières and Chatains too.
Direct, a little more generous, mineral slightly riper fruit. Supple but pure, gorgeous wine – it needs to add a dimension of purity but the wine is not bright – that will come and when it does it will be great!
Not many producers; 17 ha in total, here are 1 ha from 2 parcels from the top of appellation, N-NE facing so with freshness and acidity. It’s part of Vaillons but these vines are over the top of the hill so not the same exposure. Old vines with a small yield. Decided to separate since 1998, before was in the Vaillons. ‘Naturally these vines don’t produce much, only 40 hl/ha in 2018 – there’s a lot of court noué here, hence the low yields of small grapes.
A little citrus skin on this zesty nose – rarer in 2021. This wine is bright and the difference is clear – pure, wine of citrus clarity – mouth-filling. Potentially a great wine.
2.24 ha, from Pied d’Aloup (25%), Chapelots (50%) and Bréchain (25%), this latter parcel with vines from 1936. ‘Always a paler colour to all the other wines.’
A little more direct, a lot more airy. More citrus bitters again – lovely purity and minerality – beautiful intensity but without pain. A mm of cushion to this fine texture too. So perfectly packaged – This bottle could be drunk today – if it was bottled! Bravo and so sneakily long too!
No domaine Fourchaume as volume was too low:
2021 Chablis 1er Vaulorent
3.6 ha one of biggest owners. Much marne and Kimmerigian – ‘the first for depth the second for tension.’ Including the last wine there are 8 parcels, this with the older vines – 45-50 on average. Looking for the depth and minerality for this cuvée – the blend is usually similar but not necessarily the same to make this one.
A more pungent depth of citrus aroma here. Broad – impressive concentration – or better, density – good texture but here is essentially a zesty citrus with a hint of generosity. I would wait 10 years – without hesitation – for this wine – slightly chalky finishing. I could also drink it today!
2021 Chablis Bougros
“The improvement here is a big satisfaction – it’s a completely different wine to 20 years ago. It’s a generous terroir with some deep soils and plenty of yield. Organic since 2006 and we’ve worked hard to limit the yield and there’s now a balance here that we didn’t have before. There are no well-known producers here so historically it hasn’t had a high regard in general, but we can see now that it’s not an accidental grand cru – I’m very happy.” Biodynamic practice in GCs since 2010. On the plateau part.
Some width of white flower perfume. Gas that’s adding energy. Rounder and richer but cut by fine acidity and minerality – never austere but properly balanced. That’s a great finish – panoramic, gorgeously delicious and complex – I love this finish!
2021 Chablis Vaudesir
1.20 ha in 3 parcels on a steep slope. ‘The wine that takes the most time to show its class – it needs, at best 10-15-years’ 1,900-litres from 1.2 ha…
More clarity, and more minerality in this aromatic. Ooh – this is rather good – a mineral wine of sinuous character, a finish that’s a bit more saline vs the overt citrus expressions of the previous wines. Simply excellent…
2021 Chablis Valmur
From the summit of Valmur.
More direct, fresh but ripe citrus that flexes its muscles. Extra mineral – almost a suggestion of the austerity – super energy and volume on the palate – here’s a wine that’s a study in minerality and with such a finish! A great lecture in Chablis minerality!
The fifth year in a row, this ‘demoted’ in favour of their Preuses – it seems fixed! Two parcels on the steep hillside next to the road and river – 2.80 ha and they have replanted 0.4 ha.
More the white flower aromatic again – not a bright wine. Large-scale, mouth-filling wine – there’s such an energy here. It needs time to help you better focus on its complexity – but it will be a great bottle!
2 parcels, one of 1 ha the other of 1.2 ha. ‘We rarely have austerity in Preuses.’
A faint reduction in this nose of scale – mineral, almost a little seashore. There’s extra depth – maybe 1 mm not 2, of richness. White flowers – perhaps more orange-blossom aromas. Again, this is a wine of scale – a little extra composure and even power vs the CdBouguerots. The minerality is more evident too. It’s also a great wine – but a very different style. The finish is ‘extra!’
4.10 ha, principally the higher section but some lower towards Grenouilles – mainly planted before 1950 by that father of Willaim Fevre. Always the only wine in this – or pretty much any line-up of great Chablis that makes me think – Chevalier-Montrachet – but this year I see Chablis!
Extra breadth to this aroma – almost a hybrid of the previous two wines – but then it changes gear, floral and mega-impressive – wow – I almost don’t need to drink it! Okay, for science 😉 : This is not the most forceful or incisive but it has a mouth-filling fluidity that infuses the senses. (Almost) always a wine apart and it is certainly that in 2021 – undisputedly great – bravo!