TN: 2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume

WINE TALK
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  • 2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru (9/3/2014)
    Colour limpid lemon, viscous with good legs. A lovely fresh, ripe nose of green apples, lemons, pineapple, rock salt, baking spices, ginger and crushed rocks. I had this Chablis on release and its searing acidity has now settled quite a bit. Now a strong backbone of racy acids, holding the wine together right across the palate. Quite ripe and rich, with malic, citric, mineral and marine flavours, but with some tropical fruit elements (a little pineapple and rock melon). Good volume and power for a 1er with excellent length and a good dry, chalky finish. Probably a bit too rich and exotic fruit flavoured to be considered classical Chablis, but very enjoyable nonetheless. Drinking well now but with years ahead of it, if it survives premox. (92 pts.)

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This stuff was delicious. I got some for $28 from PC and it all rapidly disappeared.

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Those now regular Chablis sales at PC keep busting up my buying freeze(s)! For whatever reason, these Chablis pre-arrivals also appear in stock relatively quickly (for PC; e.g. less than a year after ordering).

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Why do you think the Fourchaume might get premoxed? I’m going to pick up a few bottles, probably 08 & 09 to taste blind together; just curious what, if anything I may find. Fourchaume is bargain Chablis if you can find it pre arrival like others have noted above, otherwise I can’t find it cheaper than about $42/bottle. Gotta start reading through all those PC emails before I trash them.

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Rick, I think the Fourchaume might be premoxed because it’s Chablis and I don’t think we can yet assume premox has been licked in Chablis. Having said that, I’ve seen no premox yet in any 2008 Fèvre or think this 1er is particularly susceptible.

I agree with John and Pat that this stuff is really quaffable now but I’ll hang onto my last couple of bottles as I am interested as to how it develops.

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I’ve just taken delivery of a case of 2006 Valorent and so far - 3 bts drunk, 3 bts down the sink.

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That’s terrible Tom. I think 2006 was badly affected by the pox. Let’s hope the 2008s fare better.

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I feel your pain, Tom. I just sent a customer a case of 2009 Vaulorent to replace a shot case of 2006. On the other hand, have heard nothing but good about the 2005s from quite a large sample of clients.

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All my 06 Vaulorent loaded into my car direct from Fevre in Chablis have been very good. Not our favourite year but still all have been good bottles with another 4 remaining.

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I tend to think of the Fevre Fourchaume as a little too much on the tropic fruit side. I always pass on this one and go for the Vaulorent, which is much firmer and more classically Chablis styled.

Otherwise, the 2008 Fevre so far have been excellent. The 2008 Fevre Montee de Tonnerre, in particular, have been beautiful. Let’s hope they hold up…

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Carl, I’ll look out for that 2008 MoT (I don’t think I’ve had it). I agree that Fevre did an excellent job in 2008, here’s a couple of recent TNs on two of the GCs:

2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru (12/16/2013)
Wine served blind to friends at a lunch, with the balance finished the next evening with dinner. Pale gold. Lovely pure nose, like a snow fed mountain stream. Lightly and prettily perfumed with aromas of lemon zest, acacia blossom, touches of honeycomb, rock melon, green apple and white pear. Mineral elements too: steel, wet granite and some blackboard chalk. Blind, bouquet confusable with White Burgundy (Puligny-Montrachet?), just the hint of salinity gives it away. Sweet entry on palate, silky texture. Bright, racy acids, with real intensity. This is excellent Chablis, with real fruit weight, Grand Cru depth, power (at only 12.5% alc) and structure, and a strong acid backbone, but precise and focused and beautifully balanced. Flavours of lemon, lime, minerals and almonds. There is oak here but it is well integrated. Long, with a dry finish. Better on the second day. Lovely now, but will improve over many years (if it survives premox). The 2008 Fevre Valmur I had a couple of months ago was good, but this is a class above.(94 pts.)

2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Valmur - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru (11/16/2013)
Very perfumy, ethereal nose. Lemon, lime, creaminess, some minerality and chalk. Good fresh, tight texture, very delicate, but good structure and balance and some matière. Finishes on a lemon and pineapple character. Very pure wine. On opening, not obviously Chablis, but developed that character more clearly with time, tending mineral and oyster shell. Consistent notes the next night. At a good stage now but years of development to come. (93 pts.)

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