2008 Domaine de Vauroux Chablis Montee de Tonnerre 1er Cru (Chablis)

Stephen Tanzer has labelled Montée de Tonnerre as the insider’s Chablis premier cru. He describes the site as being “situated just to the southeast of the unbroken strip of Chablis grand crus on the right bank of the river Serein (it’s separated from Les Blanchots only by a narrow ravine). It enjoys a similar geographic profile, rich in the same Kimmeridgian limestoney chalk that makes the grand crus some of the world’s most cerebral, complex and distinctive examples of chardonnay.”

Given this context I was pretty excited to try this wine, especially with 2008 apparently being a pretty decent Chablis vintage.

The generosity of fruit was a positive surprise for me. Where I was expecting steel I instead found some lovely stonefruit and citrus notes. Before the wine gets away from itself in its generosity, however, it’s pulled taut by a lovely line of acidity. A tell-tale chalky minerality adds interest and appeal as the wine pushes through a very long finish. Nice. It's ready to drink now, and will also continue to drink well over the next few years.

As an aside, this is the kind of wine that just reinforces how fantastic Australian Chardonnay has become over the past decade or so. It's from one of the best Premier Cru’s in Chablis from a good vintage, and yet I can think of numerous Australian Chardonnays that could comfortably sit alongside this wine, and indeed even surpass it from a quality perspective. And that’s in no way detracting from what is a beautiful wine here, and of course that chalky minerality marks it out as unique from many local offerings.

Rated:

RRP: $40-$50

Closure: Cork


Red

2009 Pattes Loup Chablis 1er Cru Montmains

Pattes Loup, which was only established in 2005, is getting a lot of positive press in the world of Chablis, with Antonio Galloni having this to say this about the winery – “Simply put, these are some of the most groundbreaking, intensely captivating wines being made in Chablis today”.

Montmains is a south-east facing Premier Cru site in Chablis. The soils are composed of light, sandy topsoil with the Kimmeridgian (limestone-rich) subsoil that defines Chablis more generally. Apparently this Premier Cru also has a unique micro-climate, though as much as this unique microclimate is referenced with Montmains I’m yet to read anything that discusses what this micro-climate is or what impact it has on Chablis from this site. Any thoughts or comments on this point would be appreciated.

It’s a slightly fuller, richer Chablis than I might have expected, though this is probably a product of the 09 vintage. The thing that stands out however, is the wine's length. From go to woe, it never wavers, and has fantastic persistence. Lovely flavours of lime and peach are matched with some spice and floral notes, and all underpinned by that classic chalky minerality which is typical of Chablis. The balance and length suggests that this will age nicely, but the richness of flavour makes it’s pretty approachable now as well. Very nice wine. 4 stars.






Rated:


ABV: 12.5%
RRP: $60
Importer: www.eurocentric.com.au
Website: www.pattes-loup.com


Red