First time with this wine. I’m a big fan of Chablis. So given the high Cellar Tracker scores, super terroir, and dear price (north of $100), my expectations were high. The short version is that the wine was good but didn’t meet expectations.
I was immediately dismayed when I saw that the cork was nearly more than 2/3 soaked through, with a small track of wine going all the way up the side to the top. I have no idea what happened here, but the cork looks like something off a 30+ yr old bottle, not something that’s 5 yrs old. So I’m not sure how representative my particular bottle is. Disappointing that such a premium bottle had such a garbage closure.
That being said, the wine is good. A bit darker in appearance and more advanced in aroma and flavor than I would expect for a top-tier 5 yr old Chablis, but still very tasty. Probably that damn cork… The aromas and flavors are mostly classic Chablis with lemon zest, grapefruit pith, white flowers, and lots of chalk and limestone. There is a bit of creaminess that speaks to at least some malolactic fermentation. To me, it tastes like there is a touch of oak as well, which is less typical of Chablis, but not unheard of for Grand Crus especially. On the finish are some cider-y notes (faint but definitely there) that indicate a small level of oxidation.
I liked this wine, I really did. I’d happily drink it again, but I wouldn’t buy it for the $100+ that it goes for. Not sure what role the cork played here, so I’m not passing judgements about anything other than my particular bottle. I really wish producers of wines that cost so much damn money would switch to DIAM!!! If this wine were bottled under DIAM I’d consider a repurchase, otherwise fuggedaboudit.