TN: Chablis in Chicago

WINE TALK
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CHABLIS FEST - Shaw’s Crab House - Chicago, IL (8/27/2014)

A bunch of out-of-towners were in Chicago and we thought that opening up some Chablis would be fun. The theme expanded a bit to include a flight of non-Chablis White Burgundy and a flight of Champagne. Only 2 off bottles in the bunch…not all that bad.

Dauvissat >>>> Raveneau on this night.
BRACKET 1 - CHAMPAGNE

  • 1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon - France, Champagne
    Another great bottle of this. Biscuity, truffle-y, with beautiful aromas of apples/pears/slate. The palate had a nice creamy note to it with with lots of lemons, limes, mushrooms, and floral notes. Delicious wine that I want to drink more of! (94 pts.)
  • 2004 Launois Pere et Fils Champagne Grand Cru Special Club - France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne Grand Cru
    A really impressive, young, champagne. Tons of power, with lots of energy and lime flavors. The palate took some time to open up, but when it did the lemons and limes really began to expand. Incredibly young, but already showing signs of greatness. (93 pts.)

BRACKET 2 - RAVENEAU PREMIER CRU 1999

BRACKET 3 - DAVUISSAT

BRACKET 4 - DAUVISSAT/RAVENEAU GRAND CRU

  • 2005 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
    This was more of what I expected from the 2005 vintage. This didn’t have the level of precision that the other vintages of this wine can have, and I think the some of the flavors were a bit rounder and fatter that what I typically look for. Not a bad wine, at all, just a bit riper. (89 pts.)
  • 2001 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
    Loved the power and edgy palate to this wine. Tons of lime, salt, lemons, and flint. Tons of depth and complexity…thought this was one of the better wines of the night. (95 pts.)
  • 2001 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
    Up there for WOTN, and on a whole different level from the other Raveneau’s this evening. Tons of depth with exotic salinity, melon, limes, and lemon tones. Just dazzling balance and purity to the palate…this is one of those wines that is completely singular and intoxicating. (95 pts.)
  • 2000 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
    Corked. NR (flawed)

BRACKET 5 - ODDS AND ENDS

  • 2007 Arnaud Ente Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
    This was my first time trying this producer. A big and rich styled Puligny with lots of lime, orange, and lemon tones. It had really nice balance on the palate - despite its weight, it never felt slick or too blowsy. I’m interested to try more of this… (92 pts.)
  • 2005 Philippe Colin Chevalier-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
    Big and powerful with lots of flinty lemons, lime, and florals. The citrus notes had a real depth to them on the palate - needs time to become more elegant. (92 pts.)
  • 2007 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
    A “wow” wine. Just incredible depth and layered flavors and aromas here. What also made it exciting was how quickly the wine shifted gears. At times it was elegant with wisps of lemons/limes and florals, while at other times the gunsmoke took over making it richer and fuller. So good. (95 pts.)
  • 1985 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
    This had aged very nicely. Lots of cool citrus fruit, wet slate, melon, and lanolin. The aged personality of the wine shown through and delivered some of those Chenin Blanc type qualities like wet wool, vanilla, and melon. It had a nice acidity on the finish too…gave it some nice energy. (92 pts.)
  • 1975 Château Suduiraut - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
    A lot to like here. Loved the pineapple and coconut flavors - very dense tropical fruit profile. Nice acidity and good depth. (92 pts.)
  • 2011 Dana Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Hershey Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
    A lot like the last time I tasted this. Definitely a cooler fruit profile with some blackberries, charcoal, cranberries, and earth. I still think this is the Dana Estates vineyard I enjoy the most.

It was great seeing Amy, Jeremiah, Jason, and Tm (in addition to the Chicago people)! Thanks to the team at Shaw’s for taking care of us too.
Posted from CellarTracker

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Thanks great report and wines !

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I recently had the 2002 Dauvissat Forest and Preuses, and at least for the Forest found it much richer, and more candied (and therefore less cool) than you did. I find 2002 to be an anomalous vintage in this regard, with Chablis showing almost more like a Cote d’Or (or Savennieres, as discussed elsewhere). The 2002 Dauvissat Preuses in particular was bordering on candied, very much in the style of the 2002 Fevre (the Forest is a tad cooler than these)…

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Awesome stuff, Matt. Color me jealous. [notworthy.gif]

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Back room or blue crab lounge ?

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Looks like an awesome night. Too bad the 1999 Raveneau Montee de Tonnerre didn’t show as well as the bottle we had last year.

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Sorry if this is a bit of a hijack…but I wanted to post on the wine, below, and didn’t think it worthy of a separate thread. So…chose this one, already homage to the great producer in Chablis.


1994 Rene et Vincent Dauvissat Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses -

This wine did nothing to change my opinion that Dauvissat Preuses is the best wine in Chablis. At age 20 it was lively, charming and as expressive as a 20 year old WB is likely to ever be. Honey, oysters, minerals and some mushrooms. Viscous honeyed limestone on the palate. Super long finish. Finesse and elegance with plenty of power to drive the finish longer and longer. A WOW wine. A vintage that wasn’t great, but…the first vintage I bought, at the winery, during my first visit, in 1996. I was so wowed by the Preuses then, I asked to see the vineyard. Vincent took me up there…and gave me a piece of kimmeridgian rock to take home. He was enraptured talking about the aromas during flowering every year.

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I hate you, Matt. [cheers.gif]

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The 1985 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet smelled exactly like lox. In a good way. Unmistakeable note of smoked salmon. It was cool.

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you mean the salty, pickled stuff? or “Nova”?

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It’s amazing how well the 01 Chablis are showing and with relatively low instances of premox. Perhaps botrytis helps ward away the oxygen?