Tasted with Romain Collet in Chablis, 15 April, 2014.
Domaine Jean Collet & Fils
15 avenue de la Liberté
89800 CHABLIS
Tel. +33 (0)3 86 42 11 93+33 (0)3 86 42 11 93
www.domaine-collet.fr
An old domaine name in Chablis, originating in Villy: Since 1792, Collets have worked the vines here. Romain, the son of Gilles, now represents the fourth generation of Collets at this family domaine. Romain came to the estate in time for the 2009 harvest after winemaking school in Beaune, various internships at French domaines and working in New Zealand.
The domaine has about 40 hectares of vines, Romaine describing 75% of them as coming from ‘central Chablis’. About 70% of the 200k bottle production is exported. Since 2011 Roman Collet has been making a Crémant from Petit Chablis located grapes, and if I don’t get in trouble for the phrase, by ‘method Champenoise’! It’s very good, and for €8.40 a bottle, actually, it’s rather brilliant – I bought a six-pack! Romain notes “We anyway don’t have a lot of Petit Chablis, and we like bubbles!”
Returning to Chablis ‘proper’, the domaine has machine harvested since 2014, except for the vieilles-vignes parcels and their grand crus. Roma notes that a 14-15 day harvest can, thus, be completed in 10. Grapes go through vibrating tables before a long press ‘but not too hard’. Indigenous yeasts perform the fermentations. The Petit Chablis and Chablis have received DIAM 3 & 5 seals since 2008.
Yields were minus 27% in 2013.
2013 Petit Chablis
From Portlandian soil, near Villy. In bottle for 1 week.
The aromas have nice width and a little herb – but not particularly deep. Sweetness, with lovely acidity coming through. After 2012s it’s not the same level of concentration but it is drinking very well already!
2013 Chablis
Also bottled last week – a little early as they have nothing to sell. Not all was bottled, and they will make further bottlings as the orders come in.
A deeper, herby aromatic. Like the Petit Chablis but with a clear extra level of concentration and a faint fat to the texture.
2011 Chablis 1er Montmains
The nose is wide, and of modest depth – I’d go as far as to say, shy. Silky, with some herbal flavour – but opens out very nicely on the palate.
2011 Chablis 1er Vaillons
The malolactic was 50% in wood and 50% in tank – tha barrels up to about 10 years old.
Very faint asparagus/pyrazine. Here the wine is more lithe, with slowly growing concentration of very tasty flavour. A wine that grows on me…
2011 Chablis 1er Butteaux
100% barrel – elevage BUT only after malolactic fermentation.
Another wine that is aromatically modest. There seems more acidity and freshness versus the Vaillons – intensity too. There are some nice herb references in the finish.
5% new oak used in the elevage here.
The nose is nicely fresh but still quite shy. In the mouth this is fresher and shows great width – no obvious oak here – there’s a surprising reprise of flavour too, deep in the finish. Only here can you detect a little creamy oak. This is very impressive and brilliantly long.
Relatively young vines (20039 but lots of millerandes – always hand harvested and elevaged (vinification and malo) in 600 litre barrels.
Very pretty nose – a few oak references too, but the aromas beg you to take a sip. Lovely, sucrosité and acidity with a nice element of dry extract in the finish – and not many 11s show that! Yum!
2011 Chablis Valmur
The nose, here, has a faint saline quality. More density on the palate and just a little fat too – yet finely balanced. Real density of flavour in the finish before slowly fading in a stony note. Yum!
2010 Chablis 1er Montmains
The nose is wide and fresh – not super-forward – yet faintly floral. Really lovely width and a growing concentration of flavour. This is really good – and super length too.
A riper and more intense nose – lovely freshness though. Super acidity that bubbles across the tongue. Mouth-watering and with super flavours. I love.
This site, in the commune of Villy, was planted in 1990 and has been managed ‘Bio’ for the last 15 years.
A wonderful, forward aromatic – the most open of any wine tasted. Gorgeous clarity and lovely finishing intensity. This is not the most concentrated wine form 2012 but has a clarity, vivacity and focus that is simply outstanding. Super-tasty finishing flavour too!