Tasted in Chablis, 29 April, 2014, with Laurence Race.
Domaine Laurence et Denis Race
5 rue de Chichée
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 42 45 87
www.chablis-race.com
This estate, in the heart of of Chablis, has, since 2005, the fourth generation on the team in the shape of Claire, daughter of Laurence and Denis.
They own 18 hectares and run the domaine on a lutte raisonée principles. Their wines are mainly sold in France, their main export market, it seems, is Brasil.
Made from two parcels of vines.
Faint but quite pretty nose. Really good density here – a super, mouth-watering impression and no hard edges. A very nice wine.
2012 Chablis
The domaine’s biggest cuvée – amounts to about 8 hectares.
Another modest nose but one that’s quite nice and shows a floral dimension. Soft, but concentrated too. There’s a slowly growing, mouth-watering flavour. This is very tasty.
Very pretty, fresh and again floral aromatic, this time with a stony core. Fine width, some silk and really good flavour dimension. This has a fine, brightly focused flavour. Not the longest finishing, but surely one of the prettiest wines I tasted this week.
2012 Chablis 1er Montmains
The domaine’s biggest 1er cru – almost 4 hectares worth and from 4 separate ‘Montmains’.
The nose starts tight, slowly opening up – again with a faint but welcoming floral note. Super, mouth-watering flavour that has a moreish sweetness. Super.
2012 Chablis 1er Vaillons
Mid-slope vines and in one part the vines are 83 years old – that’s the joint-oldest I heard of in my travels in Chablis.
The nose isn’t particularly wide to start with, but there’s good hight and depth, a little minerality and a hint of salt. The flavour-profile is certainly more mineral but with a balance of ripeness and some richness and eventually a stony flavour in the finish. Not the most energetic of these wines, but I have to say it tastes lovely…
2012 Chablis 1er Montmains Vieilles-Vignes
One hectare of 55 year-old vines in Butteaux.
The nose is faintly salty, mineral and floral – but it’s a modest nose. Rounder and fuller but with no loss of focus. Silky and with a growing intensity and plenty of concentration in the mid-palate. A long, slow decay of flavour…