Tasted in Chablis with Didier Seguier, 23 January 2024.
Domaine William Fèvre
21, avenue Oberwesel
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 98 98 98
www.williamfevre.com
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My visit was a few days after the long-discussed acquisition of Fevre (via Artemis) to Rothschild’s Lafite was confirmed on 09 January. “They are people of wine but we are learning about each other and what might be interesting next steps both commercially and in our practices.”
There are the expected questions about Fevre’s contract wines – given that they were ‘cut’ at Bouchard-Artemis: “The contracts are about 40% of our production volume and mainly in the area of Petit Chablis and Chablis – we are not looking to further develop them but for the moment they stay…”
Didier on 2023:
“In the end we are happy – there were multiple pressures in 2023 – I think it one of the most complicated vintages in 25 years. For domaines that are organic it was very hard to keep control of the mildew. We had 50-60 hl/ha, modest for the year where some parcels produced over 100. But Chablis is still selling well because it remains affordable.”
Didier on 2022:
“So far just the Chablis has been bottled, just before the end of last year. The rest should be done in March-April – we like to have the second winter of elevage. There’s ripeness and an acidity that has brought a lovely balance of minerality, salinity and freshness – there’s tension – I adore this. We started 29th August – we had the maturity. It’s a vintage of purity and precision. We had one night with a bit of snow on the heights – the plateau of Chablis – and did lose a little volume because of that. Afterwards it was 3x less rain than normal for 5 months. It was the rain of June that helped us – here it was double the normal for June – 58mm in 2 hours – this got us through to the harvest. So a hot year but a year without grilled grapes. pH 3.2 – 3.25 – it’s not very low but it’s a vintage of tension with some nice finishing bitters re-inforcing the tension but still with proper maturity.”
The wines…
A great performance – as expected – and so many wines that are worth a special search, too. But only knocking on the door of my ‘best’ list in 2022 – at least today.
2022 Chablis
48 hectares of vines with an average age of 50 years – ‘more than most 1er crus’
Very fine clarity – open and attractive – air making this ever-more attractive. Hmm, that’s lovely – I feel a little lime at the base of this which is quite rare in 2022. Easing into the finish with a certain elegance but length too.
2022 Chablis 1er Beauroy
1.10 ha near Troesmes at the start of the valley.
Width but fewer higher tones. Cooler, more intense fruit – growing larger and more silky-mineral in the mouth – a certain extra concentration here – a clear step up in weight. Vibrant finishing – clean and super!
2022 Chablis 1er Montmains
3.8 ha Butteaux (mainly) plus Forets, Montmains – about the same each of those two
More width in the higher tones here – a modest agrume complexity. Larger scale – with a little CO2 – easy, fine, fading pure flavour – a beautiful wine.
2022 Chablis 1er Vaillons
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.
Airy yellow citrus, and yes, a little floral too. A modest generosity with width. Lovely vibration almost a fizz of finishing flavour – the first with a little reprise and some faint zesty bitters.
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 similar style to the Vaillons but with extra impact. Ooh – extra volume balanced with some fluidity. Then there’s a twist of finishing intensity – you can sense a little oak today – average 5-year-old barrels – a mix of 228s and 350s. Wait 2 years and the oak will be gone – that’s a great wine.
From Vaulorent – 3.6 ha
The classic, almost fizz of golden-yellow citrus – very inviting. Really vibrant in the mouth – such energy. A wine that directs you into its vibrant finish but holds you there with super length. Ultra classy, possibly a great Fourchaume!
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.’
Deep, wide – structural wine, less of the fruit – a great invitation. A more direct wine of citrus energy, chalky almost. Less large vs the Fourchaume but more in all other directions – beautiful, saline finishing wine. Yes!
3.6 ha one of biggest owners Fourchaume – this a parcel selection. 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 wonderful, more vertical nose – what depth and minerality at the base. Extra CO2 here today. More overtly mineral, none of the golden fruit of the Fourchaume – really alive and energetic wine – and I love it – bravo!
4.10 hectares. “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.
Here is a concentration in tandem with direction – not quite linear but taking you somewhere.Extra mouth-filling volume couple to concentration but delivered with freshness and even tension – there’s noth heavy here – beautifully balanced and rewardingly mouth-watering – panoramic finishing – what a great finish – bravo!
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’
A deepr, narrower nose – suggesting some floral accents. If the nose is not particularly distinctive, the flavours and shape and intensity in the mouth certainly are – fabulous drive, intensity and minerlaity. Ther’s width and extra finishing complexity here too – oh yes – a nose short of great today, but assuredly great in the future!
2022 Chablis Valmur
From the summit of Valmur. ‘On a strong vein of marne – marne with a lot of Kimmerigian – like they have in Vaulorent.’
Such a great nose – mineral, of scale and full with stony complexity. Even more mineral than the Vaudésir – stony, and suggesting a little green – maybe lime – like the villages Chablis. Broad and almost chewy in length – and particularly of width in this length.
2022 Chablis Les Preuses
2 parcels, one of 1 ha the other of 1.2 ha. ‘We rarely have austerity in Preuses – the most refined of the GCs despite it’s density’
Open, almost delicate aromatics. Supple, concentrated – but with a large growth of great flavour, lots of salinity, ultra complex and large finishing. This is a baby, I think there’s much more to come.
2022 Chablis La Côte de Bougerots
It’s been a while since they showed this wine after the preuses! Two parcels on the steep hillside next to the road and river – 2.80 ha and they have replanted 0.4 ha.
This nose is not as large as the Preuses but seems finer still. Extra accessible flavour and fluidity combined today. Panoramic finishing – a beautiful finish – this is clearly the more open vs the Preuses today.
4.10 ha, principally the higher section but some lower towards Grenouilles – mainly planted before 1950 by that father of William Fevre. Always the only wine in this – or pretty much any line-up of great Chablis that makes me think – Chevalier-Montrachet!
A more alive and zesty aromatic from this – almost 2021 in style. Plenty of gas you must wait for it to fade. Here’s a wine with (almost!) the density of Preuses but the fluidity of the Bouguerots. A haunting finish that holds impressive intensity. Properly grand and still far from the finished article – Grand Vin for sure!