Tasted in Fontenay-près-Chablis with Nathalie and Gilles Fèvre, 13 October 2016.
Domaine Nathalie et Gilles Fèvre
Route de Chablis
89800 Fontenay-près-Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 18 94 47
www.nathalieetgillesfevre.com
Nathalie on 2016:
“2016 really didn’t produce very much volume – we harvested less than 20 hectolitres per hectare. The vintage started well, though it finished less well. Our Vaulorent, fortunately, was protected from the 13 May hail. But then came mildew, and it was on grapes more than leaves – the leaves were actually fine. Similar vintages might be 1956 or 1961 – suggests Gilles’ father. But we have an important level of concentration. The average quality is maybe on the same level as 2013 but with much, much less porriture than that vintage…”
The wines…
2105 Chablis
A nose that offers very nice, attractive, fruit-led freshness. Volume, a hint of pear, very good intensity, this is very, very good. Yum!
2015 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
A deep and attractive nose; yellow citrus and rock. A hint of CO2, but them mouth-watering, indeed palate stoning flavours. Bright, saline, mouth-watering, despite not so high acidity – lovely…
Yellow flowers, almost a textured nose, and very attractive too. Hmmm – a freshness, beautiful texture, growing freshness and salinity, but with a mouth-watering sweet acidity. Just a honey! Really fine length – bravo!
Bright aromas, some faint agrume reduction – super! Intense, bright, fabulous acidity, vibrant wine with a hint of floral finishing… superb, but to wait for.
Pretty and focused notes of fresh citrus. Almost a hint tart, but intense and delivering waves of flavour. Wow flavour! Getting bigger on the finish too! Bravo!
2014 Chablis Les Preuses
Complex, faintly oaked, yellow citrus – indeed lots of complexity here. So fresh, so complex, beautifully intense – like the last wines, but with a little more fat on the bone to make this actually easier to drink today. Excellent!
2010 Chablis Les Preuses
A little more depth of yellow colour. Lovely baked citrus tart. Lithe, lovely line, growing wider on the palate, growing more complex too. Ripples of flavour spreading out wider and wider, just a faint suggestion of maturity creeping into the last flavours. Really excellent again!