Medium lemon-yellow at the core with a watery rim, this got 30 minutes of slow oxygenation. At that point the nose offered up medium intense notes of candied orange peel, a fat Serein-clay mineral note, but also something vaguely ashy/saline, some fennel bulb and typical blood orange. No lack of complexity from this wine, which mostly consists of grapes from Chapelot.
The Serein clay flavour makes this medium bodied wine seem fatter and richer; more so because of “only” medium-plus acidity. Saline minerality maintains reasonable balance however and is complemented by medium-plus intense flavours of ginger root and again blood orange. Flavour intensity increases somewhat on the 20-25 second finish, which is reasonably satisfying if not exactly riveting. The mineral flavours do however linger for considerable time.
Okay, I am inclined to wait for another two years to see where this is going. 90 points for now, I think and it might even improve one to 91.
Relatively being the imperative word here, of course. At this point, I’m not exactly enamoured with Chablis from those two vintages. I prefer my Chablis on the leaner side of the spectrum and the recent 10 or so samples I’ve tasted were all ready to go, including some from Dauvissat, Fèvre (not from my own cellar) and a single Raveneau. At this point, the hype over the 2005 vintage and resulting price hikes seem grossly exaggerated.
This doesn’t have to be a bad thing, as one needs wines from softer vintages to drink while waiting for bottles from the great ones to mature. This Montée de Tonnerre is a very good wine in most vintages, so I guess I’m willing to take the chance that it will indeed improve.
Touche! I didn’t buy much Chablis in 05; buying sparingly now b/c p’oxophobic, but you have to have some in the cellar. As it happens Montee (from Droin, Michel, and Fevre) dominates my modest holdings just now.
As an aside, I quit buying Fèvre with the 2002 vintage because the ridiculous price hikes made them more expensive than Dauvissat. Considering how p’ox-prone they have turned out, I am very glad I did!
If you like Montée de Tonnerre, then you may want to check out the Billaud-Simon rendition as well. It often approaches Grand Cru level (surely at Raveneau, which I buy most years) and has a mildly exotic blood-orange flavour I really like. If they’re available to you, make sure to also buy the Tète d’Or and Fourchaume. I’ve never had Louis Michel, but I hear that’s a good MdT as well.
Thanks; I’d like to try their MdT. Billaud-Simon seems to have a diverse crowd of followers, as well as some detractors. Like you, I dialed back on Fevre, though the 04 Vaulorent (purchased at 1st release price) has been drinking beautifully the past few months. But I couldn’t resist PC’s pricing for their 08 MdT, since Fevre apparently overhauled their winery operation in 06 to stop the p’ox taint. The Droin, from a not-great year (06) is impressive. Haven’t tried the Michel yet. Raveneau is above my pay grade.
Have you tried Ramone Bouchard’s Chablis? New producer for me, I opened an 07 Vau de Vay a few weeks ago that was good, though with some oak.