TN: 2002 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux

• 2002 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru (4/28/2019)
  Opened about 30 minutes prior to drinking. We discussed decanting, but ultimately didn’t. Served slightly chilled in Riedel Burgundy stems. Shimmery gold colored with a green tinge. The nose was powerful right from the start, with lime, shortbread, and oyster shells – still quite primary, especially on opening. There was a buttery edge for sure, but nothing overtly oaky. In the mouth, it was both broad and deep, the kind of mouthfeel that makes you want to take a huge sip all at once. We’re talking Raveneau broad, though, not broad in overall Chablis terms, let alone white burgundy. True to the vineyard, which I consider a lesser premier cru in his lineup, it was a little light through the mid and not perfectly focused or elegant, but it never went over the line into flabby, and in fact became more and more taught with air. Time may well help flesh out that mid-palate. I have to say, this was a truly glorious bottle of Chablis, exactly what I’d hope for from producer, vintage and vineyard. I loved it. It was the first bottle from a straight case that has been resting a long time in our cellar. If this bottle was indicative, we have years of spectacular drinking ahead. It seemed unaware, let alone concerned by, the years under its belt. It was everyone’s WOTN with stiff competition. Oh – and we should have decanted it!

Posted from CellarTracker

I feel like most of your notes (which are great, btw) have the line, “first bottle from the case.” We should all be so lucky!

Ha - that’s funny! I hadn’t thought about it, but I suppose I am more often inclined to take the time to write/publish a real note on wines I haven’t had before, or at least not recently from my own cellar. I’m more determined to keep good notes on wines I want to follow over time, like when just starting on a case. It’s also that we’re so excited to have these full cases onsite now instead of in storage that we’re breaking into them regularly.

Really glad to have this touchpoint note, Sarah, as I am probably mulling over a purchase of a bottle of Raveneau and have to choose which one…it would be for a good friend’s 50th b-day, which is still about 3 years away, and she loves Chablis, but I’m not sure if she’s ever had a Raveneau. What were the other bottles up for competition that night?

A bientot, j’espere

Mike

Mike - dollar for dollar, I’d buy the Raveneau Montée de Tonnerre all day long. It performs like a grand cru much of the time, and isn’t as stratospherically priced, relatively speaking, as the GCs are.

+1 but all now pricy.

The MdT is the value play in many line-ups, including Raveneau. Thanks for the note Sarah.

lovely note, by the way. Isn’t it great to reach into the cellar and have cases of aged Chablis to drink?

It is great, though the number of cases isn’t many. I thought I was backing up the truck, back in the day. If I’d know how out of reach these would get, I would have chosen a bigger truck.

This wine is delicious, Butteaux so expensive.

Beautiful note Sarah!

Yes, the MdT is considerably more expensive than the last time I bought it, and some pretty serious GCs can be had for what it now costs. I’d still say if the price isn’t prohibitive, that’s the wine I would buy for a Chablis lover for such an occasion.

Great note Sarah. You have great taste ! I recently pickedmup some late release 96 MdT and Valmur.

Yeah spot on with this wine.

Bought a couple of cases of mixed '02 Raveneau’s.

The Butteaux is lovely drinking and into it’s window (the MdT is even a better though), whilst the Clos - always really very highly regarded - is fantastic, but I have also had a couple of '02 Valmurs recently which have really been brilliant.

Thanks Nick. I can’t claim credit for this exact wine being in the cellar - it came from my husband’s dowry, as we like to refer to our pre-martial cellars. He has good taste for sure, though some consider his taste in women questionable at best.

Thanks everyone, and yes it is the MdT that I would likely be looking to pick up. And Sarah–are you praising Jonathan with faint damns?

Unless it’s premoxed Dauvissat! Btw, I recently had a 2004 Raveneau Butteaux that was advanced, but a second bottle was lovely.

Just got an offer for 15 Raveneau MdT and Butteaux—each over $300/bottle.

Great note. Much as I love the Butteaux vineyard in general, IMO Montee de Tonnerre is clearly the better site. Kinda like Mouton before promotion… definitely the best Premier Cru but not really at GC level.

We don’t see many notes on '02 Raveneau here, great coincidence that I was treated to '02 Forest in France at about the same time, and it was great wine at apogee. Wine list price was ~$250, which I assume is why my customer ordered it. That would be more than fair at retail.

I was lucky… we got to the table, I went to the facilities and my customer ordered it; I might have argued otherwise, or even wound up paying . I got back just as the server was decanting it; yes, it really enjoyed being decanted. I have a fair amount of older Chablis from a grower I represent, not at Raveneau’s level but nor far off IMO. I automatically decant, everything from the '14 Village I had a week ago to the '96 Les Clos last year between Christmas and New Year. In general, Chablis should be decanted.

Dan Kravitz