All wines tasted in Chablis, 12. March 2018.
Vignobles Angst
1 Rue Pasteur
89230 Pontigny
Tel: +33 3 86 40 17 33
www.vignobleangst.com
An 8 hectare domaine with a young winemaker Céline Angst. Not much is exported – yet. Still a high proportion of product is sold through négoce, they have the possibility to make 50,000 bottles but are currently commercialising only 15,000.
2016 Bourgogne Blanc
The vines are towards Chitry, here there’s more clay in the soil – but the vines are only 5 km from Chablis
A pretty, bright and citrus nose. Wider over the palate than an average Chablis but fresh and with an engaging personality – very good.
2016 Chablis
From Courgis
A more concentrated but fresh citrus. More energy and action than the Bourgogne. Good, tasty wine here. Lovely.
2016 Chablis 1er Côte de Jouan
A finer, more mineral, though less wide nose. Much more mineral over the palate – a mouth-watering wine that’s slightly saline. To wait for, the villages Chablis is easier to drink today but this will be super.
Domaine Camille et Laurent Schaller
10 rue de la Fontaine
89800 Prehy
Tel: +33 3 86 41 41 88
www.chablis-schaller.com
This a 15 hectare domaine, based in Prehy. Some export sales in Belgium plus further afield in Japan and Canada.
2016 Chablis
A deep nose, some cheese. Nice on the mouth though, with fresh, incisive flavour and good intensity. This is great in the mouth, the nose needs time – I hope.
2016 Chablis Vieilles-Vignes
Some barrel elevage here.
Despite the oak, this is fresh and intense. No oak to see aromatically or in the flavour. Much more direct in character than the first wine. Lovely!
2016 Chablis 1er Vaucoupin
Nice open fresh – such a fine nose. Wide and fresh in the mouth, mineral too, with a little green citrus. Nice wine.
Domaine du Château de Fleys
2 rue des Fourneaux
89800 Fleys
Tel: +33 3 86 42 47 70
www.chablis-philippon.com
This a 28 hectare domaine in Fleys who vinify their wines by parcel. A large part of the production is sold to the négoce – 40-50,000 bottles are currently commercialised, but the could do up to 130,000…
2016 Chablis
All tank here elevage here.
A nice, slightly soft but very attractive nose with some yellow citrus. A little fat to the texture and lots of depth, this has a very silky personality. Good wine.
2016 Chablis ‘Incourtonables’
This Chablis comes from parcels bordering the domaines Chablis 1er Les Fourneaux, with some barrel elevage.
Also a little aromatic softness – attractive though. More mineral, more mouth-watering width – this is a very attractive wine. Lovely! A super finish too.
2016 Chablis Clos du Château
In the middle of the village, vines in clos around the château – 1 ha, organic here. Part aged in oval tanks (80%), another in barrel (20%).
A more compact nose, but slowly opening. More freshness, more acidity and lots more volume in the mouth. Intense, this needs more time, less sucrosity than the last, But bigger.
2016 Chablis 1er Les Fourneaux
Two parcels, one Très Giroud the other Fourneaux, some vines from 1965 in here.
A tighter nose but nicely saline. Lovely and open in the mouth. Some good complexity and lots of life, very good finishing too.
2016 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu
Wide, complex, such an excellent nose. Bright, complex, agrumes, with melting flavour. This is excellent!
Domaine du Val Grévin
7 rue Chaude
89700 Epineuil
Tel: +33 3 86 55 31 78
www.valgrevin.fr
Wines from Florent Masson, headquartered since 2010 in the town Epineuil, in a house called “Le Clos des Sens.” Florent is planning to move the whole 5 hectare domaine to organic viticulture.
2016 Bourgogne Tonnerre Les Vauceuses
Kimmerigian soil here.
A nice open and fruity nose. Open in the mouth too with lots of mouth-filling volume – delicious and slightly mineral.
Perfumed, ripe but very inviting. Mineral, lots of impact on the palate, it’s mouth-watering too. Concentrated. Simply a great mouthful of wine – bravo really long too.
2015 Bourgogne Epineuil Les Dannots
An open, wide nose with strawberry notes of some sweetness. Direct, fresh, lots of complexity – a little mouth-puckering for a red but joyous for those that like acidity…
Domaine Maupa
6 Route de Chablis
89800 Chichée
Tel: +33 3 86 42 15 75
www.domaine-maupa.e-monsite.com
Based in Chichée, this is 20 hectare domaine of Bruno and Catherine Maurice – they are only commercialising about 5% of their production themselves, at the moment.
2016 Chablis
Bright, yellow citrus. Broad and fresh in the mouth, really mouth-watering. Not the sweetest but good stuff.
2016 Chablis Vieilles-Vignes
A little more depth to the nose, some sweetness of aroma too. More depth and concentration, with a good spine of acidity through the middle
2016 Chablis 1er Vaucoupin
Wide intense, lots of extra complexity here, a good, driving direction to this wine. Mouth-watering in the finish. Lovely.
Domaine Fournillon
34 Grand Rue
89360 Bernouil
Tel: +33 3 86 55 50 96
www.domaine-fournillon.com
Pascal Fournillon works together with his two brothers in Bernouil, the home of the domaine. It’s 12 km from Chablis. There are 23 hectares here – about 25% of which are commercialised in bottle by the domaine, half of that exported. There is also Mont de Milieu and Fourneaux at this domaine but not shown today.
2015 Bourgogne Chardonnay
From Bernouil and Epineuil, also a little Tonnerre
Bright, fresh, minty. Almost St.Bris in style. Round, a little mineral rigour, plenty of salinity. Interesting fresh and open.
2015 Bourgogne Tonnerre
A deeper nose, more muffled and less precise. More open, more volume, slowly melting freshness. Herby finish. Bright.
2014 Bourgogne Chardonnay Cuvée de l’Empereur
170 year-old vines on their own roots! Clay and sand here seems to confer phylloxera resistance
Also a little minty freshness. Direct, sinewy, intense, impressively so – saline. Delicious? Not today, but hyper-impressive. 20% of the elevage oak, but you wont see it – old barrels.
2016 Chablis
Bottled last week.
A more concentrated nose, but still with freshness. Concentrated, layered, fresh, this is the most delicious wine yet.
Domaine Barat
6 rue de Léchet
89800 Milly
Tel: +33 3 86 42 40 07
www.domaine-barat.fr
Angèle Barat was showing the wines from here 22 hectare domaine in Milly – she commercialises all of her production.
2016 Chablis
Wide, slightly perfumed and attractive aroma. Wide, with depth of flavour, a little salinity too. Good complexity. Tasty wine…
2016 Chablis 1er Vaillons
From Chatains, Beugnons and a little Vaillons too!
High toned freshness to this nose. A little extra depth and always a brightness and energy. Holding super-well in the finish. Good, engaging wine.
2016 Chablis 1er Cote de Léchet
Here there aromas are a little higher toned with some greener citrus. More open, more mobile and insinuating over the tongue – melting flavour. Yes, lots to enjoy here. Really a clean and persistent finishing flavour. Yum!
2016 Chablis 1er Fourneaux
A more modest width of aroma, it shows a slightly cushioned freshness. Wide, complex, and with lovely energy in the mouth. This is excellent.
Domaine Alain Mathias
Route de Troyes
89700 Epineuil
Tel: +33 3 86 54 43 90
www.domainealainmathias.com
Carole Mathias was showing the wines from this domaine, based in Epineuil, with vines to the north of Chablis – 13 hectares, all commercialised, also some négoce purchases here too.
2017 Bourgogne Tonnerre
Bright and citric, almost a sherbet nose. Wide, good volume, hmm, this is delicious. Lots of acidity, a little saline minerality, but also lots of good tastiness too.
2017 Chablis
Vines in Lignorelles. All tank elevage
A more subtle but still fine and fresh nose. Wide, certainly more mineral, really mouth-watering, long finishing. Good wine.
2016 Chablis 1er Côte de Jouan
25% jarre (amphora) the rest barrel.
This nose sports a direct vanilla note. Supple, extra concentration, delicious acid-led flavour but I would wait for the oak to fade. A good wine.
Domaine Tixier
7 chemin des Sanguinots
89800 Courgis
Tel: +33 32 86 41 42 72
www.chablis-tixier.com
Thomas Tixier pour the wines of this 7 hectare family domaine in Courgis.
2016 Chablis
All elevage in tank.
The nose is quite dusty. Plenty of concentration and volume in the mouth – it’s certainly mineral. Lacking in delicious at this stage – maybe with time.
2016 Chablis Cuvée Grosse-Terre
A more interesting nose, with some herb and citrus. More open, less rigour. Lots of finishing intensity. Good.
2016 Chablis 1er Montmains Vieilles-Vignes
Again, open and fresh, quite inviting. Rather perfumed in the mouth and showing a mineral width. Lots of mouth-watering flavour to finish. Good.
Louis Robin
40 Grande rue
89800 Chichée
Tel: +33 3 86 42 80 49
www.robin-chablis.com
This is a 30 hectare domaine based in Chichée: Not all of the the domaine’s wine is currently commercialised by them in bottle.
2016 Chablis
All tank elevage.
A nice weight a fresh salinity. Depth, a little reductive impression, mineral and quite long. Good wine.
2016 Chablis 1er Vosgros
Also wide and fresh, more invitation in this aroma though. Good volume, melting flavour, still some rigour in the structure, really holding well in the finish. Good.
2016 Chablis 1er Vaucoupin
Just a hint more attractive sweetness to the aroma. Very like the last; mineral, melting flavour a very good weight, not massively different to the last though.
Domaine L&C Poitout
3 rue Laffitte
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 9 79 61 62 16
www.lc-poitout.fr
A relatively young domaine based in Chablis, created in 2012, with 18 hectares of vines – so it’s not a surprise that they don’t currently commercialise everything in bottle. 2013 was their first vintage. Wines see elevage by parcel, with only tank elevage whether villages or premier cru. Mainly sell in restaurants up to now, but have started to work more with importers.
2017 Petit Chablis
From vines above Vaudesir
Deep, herbal but really inviting. Big, bright, complex, weighted with bright fruit. Excellent.
2016 Chablis Bienommé
From ‘Vaudat’ in Villy
Deep, herby but vibrant nose. Plenty of concentration and volume again. Weighted this time. Wait a little for this one, but it’s rather good!
2016 Chablis Bonaugure
A blend of Les Châtillons, Pierrette and Les Chaumes in Maligny
A more inviting freshness, just a little extra sweetness to the nose too. Big and concentrated, really this is excellent, muscular, never fat. Excellent Wine.
2016 Chablis 1er Fourneaux Opallion
Vines in Pres-Girots
Ooh this is a lovely nose. Extra sweetness, layered, some muscle. This is super. Super finishing too – quite silky wine…
2015 Chablis 1er Vaucoupin Stellaris
A little spiced, deeper fruit on this nose. Really wide and mineral – really concentrated width too. Less sucrosity than the nose suggests. Concentrated and very interesting.
2015 l’Inextinct Chardonnay
‘Franc pieds’ – ie the original roots so no grafting, in Villy. The actual appellation is Petit Chablis,
A nice freshness less spiced than the last. Concentrated, layerEd, complex and mineral, with a special length in the finish. Really excellent here.
Domaine d’Edouard
43 rue de Vallan
89290 Vaux
Tel: +33 6 87 20 77 27
www.domaine-edouard.fr
From Vaux, near Auxerre, Edouard Lepesme started by buying a domaine that had been organically run since 2000. Today there are 13 hectares of vines and the wines wear the AB label (Agriculture Biologique). The wines are currently exported to the UK, Germany and Japan.
2016 Bourgogne Aligote
Two parcels, tank elevage with a little barrel too, due to low yields.
A vibrant nose, some depth here. Wide and actually very tasty wine.
2016 Côte d’Auxerre Blanc Chardonnay
Three parcels of old vines with 50% barrel elevage. Bottled at the end of October.
Extra depth of aroma. Great energy here – a wine with much interest on the plate. Delicious too!
Cremant de Bourgogne Les Colines de Vaux
Chardonnay and pinot. The base wine is from 2014, with 24 months sur lattes and almost zero dosage.
Nose is quite open. Direct, acidic, a little saline. Hard to keep in the mouth due to the forward acidity, but the finish is super!