Tasted in Chablis with Cyril Testut (in the middle) 15 January 2024.
Domaine Testut
38, rue des Moulins
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 41 45 00
www.domaine-testut.fr
More reports with Domaine Testut
You will find more details on why Cyril is flanked by these two Brocardians in that report. But for his domaine wines, I have kept him separate for this year…
Cyril in his 2022s:
“All the wines have been bottled here and I’m happy with the balance – it’s a line of balance that’s very Chablis.”
The wines…
The average quality of the wines here is always very, very high – there are some wines worth a special search this year too!
All DIAM today – nice long 54mm DIAM10 for the higher wines:
2022 Chablis Vieilles-Vignes
From Côte de Brechain bottled just a little more than a month.
Hmm – that’s a direct nose but also perfumed – it’s a great nose considering which wines have preceded it! Clean, mouth-filling, complex and with and overtly cool minerality. Super villages!
A less forward nose but still wider than the last – it’s still very fine. Cooler style again – more direct and mouth-watering – I love it – the merest suggestion of austerity – noble austerity. Top!
2022 Chablis 1er Vaillons
Some of the oldest vines, planted in the late 50s/early 60s. From Beugnons. Only a single 500-litre barrels for elevage.
Quite perfumed but there’s a partly hidden depth of riper yellow citrus – not quite exotic but heading that way. In the mouth there is concentration and some ripeness of fruit that recalls the nose a little. Lovely wine.
2022 Chablis 1er Montée de Tonnerre
Not a large nose but one of fine distinction – it’s very classy, mineral and faintly cushioned. In the mouth; here is a super blend of volume and tasty energy. Slowly fading in the finish – part excellent – part great!
2022 Chablis 1er Les Fôrets
0.20 ha of 80-year-old vines, the same age as Beugnons. Only replaced with massale selections. Also with elevage in large-format barrels.
Less open high tones but there’s good aromatic width here. Incisive – yes! – you can cut yourself here. Mineral, not yet as delicious as some and it’s a finish that narrows – but still something super for sure.
0.32 hectares – the high part with the other producers – Chablisienne has all the lower part. Father planted in the 60s. 2002 was the first vintage here for Cyril and that was a bigger vintage in terms of volume than he wanted, so worked since then on the soil – and there’s not a lot up there, and in recent years he’s had it ploughed by horse. ‘Today I’m happy with the balance in the plants. But whilst there’s magic in certain parcels, you have to work to unlock that magic!’ A mix of tank and barrel elevage.
Extra width – with some complexity of citrus in the higher tones too. Mouth-filling with an industrious energy here. There’s a super finesse to these middle and finishing flavours – hauntingly long too – I think that this could be a great one!