Profile: Chevallier

Update 20.6.2019(2.5.2019)billn

Tasted in Montallery with Céline Courty-Chevallier, 20 March 2019.

Domaine Chevallier
6 rue de L’ecole
89290 Montallery
Tel: +33 3 86 40 27 04

Here is a domaine quite some distance from Chablis – though quite close to the Autoroute – “That’s really handy,” says Céline, “It means that we’re the nearest domaine to the Autoroute, so get a good passing trade!

The basis for this domaine is a family of farmers – but with land in ‘useful’ places. Céline, who joined the domaine in 2015 explains “My father planted his first vines in 1987, and officially started the domaine in 1992. But our family is one of generations of farmers.” The vines are essentially in Beine and Courgis, and belong to Céline’s father and uncle. Céline took on the management of the domaine last year, and there are 12.3 hectares of vines – compared to the 130 hectares of cereal that keep her dad and uncle busy!

Currently the vines are cared for in a ‘conventional manner,’ whereas the cereal is organic! Céline tells me, however, that they are moving towards the sustanable agricultural certification HVA for the vines.

The wines…

A domaine with a great potential. The wines are already beautifully classic and saline, and the move to certification in the vines can only make things even better – one to watch!

There were only half harvests here in both 2016 and 2017, hence, the first early bottlings of some 2018 has been done. Nomacorc is used for the first three wines, cork for the wines that follow.

2018 Petit Chablis
Bottled last week – a first bottling of 2018s. All tank elevage from about 3 hectares of vines in Beine
Ooh quite a big nose here, but attractive too. Round, lovely minerality, mouth-watering deliciously with a saline touch in the finish. Yum!

2017 Petit Chablis
Normally it’s a single bottling in July, but obliged to do some earlier, in March, for the last couple of vintages.
A tighter nose, but also less overtly of fruit and more overtly with salinity. Wide, supple, lovely combination of concentration and texture but with fine energy too. Mineral, agrume, classic, no hard edges, simply a very fine PC. Bravo!

2018 Chablis
A mix of Beine and Courgis and a small plot in Milly. Also 100% tank elevage. Bottled last week
A little more weight of aroma here – slightly green herbed and a touch of floral. Hmm – that’s lovely on the palate – really ultra-wide, slightly cushioned texture, weighty with a fine mineral base. Classic and delicious.

2017 Chablis
A finer nose, but it’s had time to adjust to the bottle – more overtly saline for sure. Fresher, good drive, also more saline in the flavour – proper, tasty Chablis. This is fine, delicious wine – once more!

2017 Chablis Cuvée Prestige
This is the old vine wine that has 30% barrel elevage – this was bottled in July.
Quite a pronounced wood-spice on the nose. Round, very fine texture, beautifully mouth-watering – very tasty wine and quite pure except for the vanilla-style spice of the oak. Wait 2+ years if you don’t want overt oak.

2017 Chablis 1er Montmains
All barrel elevage (and fermentations) mainly Chassin barrels in the cellar – 228 litre barrels.
A more open and wide nose – plenty of oak again but less in your face – maybe a more butter than spice style. In the mouth the oak is even less obvious – here is beautifully packaged minerality and lovely texture. This needs a little time but is very, very drinkable already. Excellent!

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