I have a bunch of random 2014 Premier Cru Chablis that I have not been rushing to drink as it is supposed to be a splendid vintage. Yesterday I wanted to open a white for salmon, asparagus and hollandaise and thought this one might do it being that it is 100% made in stainless steel and all. I had bought the bottle blind at the epic Pot d’Etain as part of a mixed case. The first four wines (Louis Michel, Meo-Camuzet…) were all great and the couple of notes on CT seemed positive as well so I had some expectations.
No, just no. I cannot find any enjoyment here. Part of me questions whether it is a sound bottle but then again the previous notes on CT kind of seem like the same wine. I don’t want to crap on this wine too much but I seriously wonder if there is something I am not getting about it. I know plenty of Chablis is made in 100% steel but rarely if ever are they as vegetal and tart as this one. And in 2014 too, which is indeed praised as a top vintage. Could this develop into something completely different? I don’t think so but maybe someone here knows better than I do. The producer claims it to drink best at ages 5-8 so it should be in its sweet spot right now.
2014 Domaine Barat Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet- France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru (16.4.2020)
Popped and poured, tried right away, after a couple of hours and then again the next day. Fridge temp and room temp and everything in between, from Zalto Universal and Schott Zwiesel Burgundy bowl. No matter what the variables, I just could not become friends with this wine. The nose attacks the nostrils with this Sauvignon-esque stinging effect, reminiscent of nettle. Additionally there are also notes of yellow plum, lemon and faint yeastiness. On the palate it definitely has a decent volume but that is overwhelmed by this sense of unpleasant tightness and greenish fruit that starts to trend towards metallic quickly. For my palate it seems unquestionably unripe/underripe and there are very few redeeming qualities. It’s just very tart and quite hard to drink, at least without wincing.
I don’t think you are missing anything at all. I could have transposed that note for each of my 3 2014 Louis Michel Montee de Tonnerre that I’ve drank. I believe those were all 100% stainless, as well (or at least they all mirrored that) . I kept reading glowing notes regarding that wine and each time I popped one, I got the same impression as you. Metallic and unripe. I’ve loved every 14 Chablis I’ve had from Vocoret Les Forets to Billaud Simon MdT to Dauvissat La Forest but just couldn’t get into the Louis Michel for all the same reasons you didn’t dig the Barat.
I love that we drink mostly the same wines. Probably why we are besties!!
Loved your notes on the Foradori and Baudry, too. Again wines I love
Thanks mate! I was hoping the Foradori note would have got some people excited but I suppose it is not that much of a known quantity around here. I really loved that wine too, a definite rebuy and I think I need to explore Foradori’s range further.
Actually one of the other bottles in this particular case was the 2011 Butteaux from Louis Michel - which I too think is 100% steel indeed - and that one I thought was pretty brilliant. Obviously different bottlings but I wonder how someone can produce such quality in a challenging vintage like 2011 and fail to impress (to put it kindly) in a vintage like 2014? Sucks to hear too that you had not one but three of those MdTs already.
I’m not familiar with Barat’s wines, but 5 years for a PC Chablis isn’t anywhere near enough time for development of any complexity. And regarding the Michel wines, those often need even longer as the wines can be pretty tight (and sometimes a bit reduced) when young.
Yeah I think that’s likely to happen. It’s just that I am not sure how much fruit this one has left once it has rounded out.
For sure. However if I compare this and the 2011 Michel Butteaux the latter was linear, tense and somewhat restrained aromatically yet not one bit vegetal, tart or thin. There you could easily see that it would go on to develop beautifully but then even at age 6 it was enjoyable and easy to appreciate for an AFWE palate.
