Tasted in Fontenay-Près-Chablis with Thierry Mothe, 15 May 2024.
Domaine du Colombier
42 Grand Rue
Fontenay-Près-Chablis, 89800
Tel: +33 3 86 42 15 04
www.chabliscolombier.com
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Thierry on 2023:
“2023 brought quality and quantity – helpful for what has come afterwards – this year (2024) there’s nothing in the 1er crus… ”
Thierry on 2022:
“Less volume than in 2023 – but we made our target. The vintage was both very early and warm – we started to harvest already in August – 28 Aug – to keep some acidity. I’m very happy with the wines though.”
The wines…
That’s a really accomplished range of wines from Colombier this year – well done – I bought some !!
DIAM across the range – DIAM3 for the ‘smaller’ wines, DIAM5 for the mid-range and DIAM10 for the grand cru. Thierry says he’s “Very happy with the way the DIAM is going – I see proper ageing, not ageing by oxidation! Everything was bottled here.“
2023(!) Petit Chablis
The produce of multiple parcels – Vines from Chichée and Fontenay, bottled in March
Ooh, that’s a very open and inviting fresh citrus note. Supple, a modest cushion – nicely textured and delicious wine with a good bite to its finishing burst of flavour.
2022 Chablis
40 hectares worth that needs 5-6 bottlings. Normally a blend of left plus right bank vines plus old and young vines. Fontenay brings older vines and Chichée younger vines which bring energy all left bank.
More airy – but again there’s an attractive freshness. The (currently) more taught structure of the 22s is clearly visible here, slowly fading in a good finish. Delicious wine again.
2022 Chablis 1er Vaucoupin
Normally from 3 small parcels – 2 ha worth in Chichée, more clay here that adds to the fruit and flowers, whereas Fourchaume is more limestone. “I’ve 1 ha of this – it’s less touched by the hail this year but it can’t compensate for the 4 ha of Fourchaume where there’s currently nothing…”
A little extra sizzle of energy – mineral energy on this nose. Larger scale, a small generosity to this concentration too – almost a little orange flavour, lightly sweetened and very long – this is a properly excellent wine !!
2022 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
From 4 hectares of vines.
A much broader width of aroma – faintly herbed in complexity. Direct, a completely different flavour profile though the fruit with a hint of the exotic but it’s still fresh and quite juicy – this more intense in the finish, quite direct and super-long. I prefer the flavour profile of the Vaucoupins but this is not a lesser wine – it’s also excellent!
2022 Chablis Bougros
1.2 hectares in 3 parcels in the middle of William Fevre’s vines, including some old vines. No frost protection here.
A nose that hovers in style between the previous two. Airy – less open perhaps. Extra volume here – the concentration is important and no less than the previous but with extra energetic balance and juiciness. Much broader and completely delicious finishing – holding with an obvious extra class. Also excellent but this time excellent for a grand cru !!