As promised, here are the notes of yesterday’s Raveneau tasting. First I’d like to thank Don Cornwell for pointing me towards some web-based resources and Justin Wells for his pointers on pre-tasting aeration; I’m very glad I took his advice!
I opened all bottles at 11AM to give them all three and a half hours of slow oxygenation. I jotted down some quick first impressions, which I will add to below notes.
As it turned out, 210+ minutes wasn’t quite enough for the 2008’s, which were double decanted on the spot over the last hour of the tasting. Even after that, they were rather tight. I’d have to advise anyone willing to open a bottle now to decant upon opening and wait at least two hours, but a minimum of a decade in the cellar would be preferable.
I also have some general remarks about the Domaine, which I will add to my earlier post later, to keep this one from getting any longer than it is already.
Thanks to a very generous attendee who wishes to remain anonymous, we had a little teaser to sip on while I took care of introductions. It was none other than:
Chablis 1er Cru “Beauroy” 2008 – Domaine Tribut
Popped and poured with about twenty minutes delay, this wine from Vincent Dauvissat’s brother in law has plenty of youthful Chablis goodness, with medium-intense notes of Granny-Smith and cretaceous minerality. A medium-minus body on the attack gives way to youthful -embryonic really- acidity, which scrubs the mouth clean and while there is sufficient extract to lend some mid-palate balance, this wine really needs time and plenty of it. And yet, the finish displays medium-plus intensity and -surprisingly enough- hangs on for about half a minute. This is a well-made wine in a pure and lithe style, which would score in the 87/88 point range for me, if I would have had time to take notes. I suspect some serious upside as well.
Chablis 1er Cru “Fôret” 2006 – Domaine Raveneau
Initially a pale lemon-yellow core and watery rim, a medium intense nose showing typical citrus, white flower and calcareous notes. The wine is medium bodied, has just about medium-plus acidity and some medium-plus intense fennel/licorice notes. The finish already does 20-25 seconds.
Once poured at the tasting, medium-plus intense notes of softer fruits are accompanied by a vegetal (in a good way) notes of celeriac and fennel bulb, but also carnations and saline minerality. Acidity remains medium-plus, but overall balance has improved courtesy of medium-plus intense flavours of quince and blood orange. The mid-palate fruit has some real sap and purity to it, while the minerality here is saline to the point of invoking associations with Muscadet (though not nearly as pronounced). Finally, the finish satisfies and maintains its balance for 20-25 seconds.
Beforehand I expected this wine to be the red-haired stepchild of the line-up, but it surprised us pleasantly. 89 points are warranted and this may well improve to 91 over the next five years.
Chablis 1er Cru “Monts Mains” 2005 – Domaine Raveneau
The cork smelled iffy upon popping, but the nose was medium-minus intense and quite exotic with notes of ripe nectarine, blanched almonds and a chlorine streak of minerals. The medium-plus body and ditto acidity reluctantly give way to a decidedly reticent mid-palate, or are things being suppressed by the dreaded TCA monster? The finish makes it to the half minute mark regardless.
At 2.45AM there is no doubt that this wine is corked and unfortunately I only had the single bottle… Drat!
Chablis 1er Cru “Butteaux” 2008 – Domaine Raveneau
At 11AM this wine was almost colourless, with a medium-minus intense hi-toned nose showing citrus notes and a quinine mineral touch. Flavour-wise it was medium-minus bodied, or so the pronounced acidity made it seem. Other wise it was utterly reticent, making it seem rather simple.
At the tasting, the colour turns out to be pale lemon-green with a watery rim. The nose hasn’t improved much in intensity, but has gained some precision and now displays mildly exotic ground almonds over a backdrop of grapefruit, enhanced by some white flowers and candied lime-peel.
The body has put on some fat and is now medium, while positively austere acidity can’t disguise some largely buried richness which might just be oak-derived. An edge of fatty mineral clay balances out the acidity somewhat, but that still leaves the medium-plus intense fruit flavours in the yellow grapefruit end of the spectrum. The finish kicks it up another notch, as it adds another level of intensity and easily persists until 30-35 seconds after swallowing. Did I mention that I only spat the Monts Mains?
This wine was (re)presented somewhat unfairly, as it was the only 2008 which didn’t see the carafe. However, a last taste after cleaning up had gained both in intensity and relative weight, so the 90 points I can give for what I actually took notes on will most likely prove too conservative. I suspect at least 2 –maybe 4- points potential, but please leave this until 2018 unless you have a serious stash.
Chablis 1er Cru “Chapelot” 2008 – Domaine Raveneau
This was a first for me, as I was never offered more than single bottles every vintage and they are all way to young still. The nose was medium-minus intense at first and while diffuse came across as much riper than the Butteaux. Exotic notes of spice, ground almond and orange zest invoke an impression of orange Pekoe tea. While medium bodied, humongous acidity was kept bearable by utterly refined texture and also its medium-plus flavour intensity on the mid-palate and 25 seconds of minerally infused finish.
Utterly pale, with perhaps a straw coloured core. The nose has improved a notch and is now medium intense. The nose has expanded beyond its earlier exoticism to include typical fennel bulb and blood orange, but also quite precise notes of licorice, a smoky mineral edge, sun-dried tomatoes (no, really!) and even something animalistic/meaty/gamey. Overall, this wine leaves an impression of ripeness not previously encountered.
Medium-plus bodied on the attack, it is the relatively weightiest wine so far and also the most intense. Pronounced flavours of orange and fennel are laced with saline licorice minerality, which lends very good balance in coalition with pronounced acidity. The finish has gained in intensity compared to four hours earlier, but is still in the 25 second range.
This was excellent, so I feel confident in scoring this 92 points and it will improve, perhaps even as much as three points.
Chablis 1er Cru “Montée de Tonnerre” 2008 – Domaine Raveneau
Initially, this was even more exotic than the Chapelot, but it has to be noted that the medium-minus intense nose displayed a slightly smoky wood component. There was however a definite impression of ripeness about the smoked almond, orange and chlorine mineral notes. The body was medium at this early stage, but pronounced acidity was well balanced by medium-plus intense mid-palate flavours, which seemed to have to edge on the Chapelot in presence. The finish clocked in around the 20-25 second mark.
Indistiguishable in colour from the other ‘08s to someone with my poor eyesight, this much coveted 1er offers up medium intense notes of fennel bulb, almond paste and a touch of orange. It has however, grown more into what the French call a “vin droit” and in its calcareous minerally infused righteousness, it resembles more the Butteaux than the Chapelot.
This too, has the pronounced acidity the vintage is characterized by, but also it’s substance. Medium-plus bodied, it is not quite weighty but it has the mid-palate presence which befits its reputation. Flavour intensity is however no more than medium, although the acidity kicks up a major ruckus and is only softened by a hint of mineral clay. It is no surpise then, that the finish packs it in after 15-20 seconds, so its undoubtedly high quality has to be inferred from the impressive extract this wine possesses. 89 points seems ridiculously low, but this too will be a candidate for the 94/95 point bracket in 2020.
Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 2001 – Domaine Raveneau
This wine doesn’t get much love, but it was my fourth bottle and I really like it for what it is. Medium intense canary yellow, with a clearing rim. Medium-plus intense straight off the bat, the nose was quite complex and clearly showed evolution with notes of tangerine, more tropical fruits, almond and an ashy mineral backdrop. It was medium bodied with quite refined texture, but medium-plus acidity and ditto intensity kept it nervously styled. The finish approached the 30 second mark.
Four and a half hours don’t make any difference colour-wise, but the nose now shows clear botrytis influence in its spicy cardamom and sweet Turkish delight notes, with a hint of diesel to boot. This is also the first wine to show the typical fatty Serein clay note on the nose, aside from typical almondy goodness and more candied fruits.
Whether its comes from the weaker vintage (although Bernard Raveneau seems to prefer it over his 2000s) or additional bottle age, this slightly more than medium bodied wine seems to be somewhat lower in acidity at not quite medium-plus. This does however, make it a nice break from the enamel-stripping acidities encountered before and with its smooth texture, it is quite the crowd pleaser to those who don’t object to its botrytized nature. Pronouncedly intense flavours of almost red fruit –redcurrant comes to mind– fennel shoots and fatty mineral clay caress the palate and take their sweet time to softly fade after 25 seconds. Additionally, a saline licorice note asserts itself, while another indication of breed can be found in its balanced intensity on the finish. If I have to pick a nit, it would be that this Valmur does not possess the length of great vintages, but that doesn’t keep it from being a great drink. If you have any, do give it a few hours of slow-ox and you’re in for a treat. 94 points and it will keep for at least 4 to 5 years.
Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot 2008 – Domaine Raveneau
Virtually water-coloured, this had a ligtly intense nose which somehow managed to give off refined –almost essence-like– citrus notes and a hint of citrus rind. Actually medium-minus bodied, it seemed nearly weightless on the mid-palate, while but medium intense flavours somehow managed to buffer the pronounced-yet-refined acidity. Saline minerality asserted itself on the sneaky 30 second finish.
Nearly five hours of air seem to have added a hint of straw to the core and increase the intensity on the reserved nose to not quite medium. A dab of menthol gives even more lift to already airy and precise notes of grapefruit, fennel, smoked meat and a mineral touch which I can’t quite determine.
While not nearly as extracted -nor weighty- as the last four wines, this wine has the elegance and balance we’ve been waiting for. It teaches us a masterclass in finesse in its own right and while but medium intense at present, it’s certainly no more than medium-minus bodied and seems to re-write the very definition of purity. I have no doubt the acidity is pronounced, but it seems to go unnoticed somehow as it is buffered by a wave of glycerine-induced smoothness. Only some pinpricks of minerally origin shine through and it sounds silly, but I seem to somehow have forgotten to put down anything regarding the fruit in my notes… go figure!
The finish merely continues proceedings on the mid-palate and seems on the short side with a mere 20-25 seconds, but it caresses the inside of the mouth during that stretch of time.
This is one of those wines where a numerical score seems pointless, but I’ll go out on a limb, give 94 points for now and feel certain that this wine will take its rightful place in the upper echelon of the 100 point scale
Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 2008 – Domaine Raveneau
Considering Burghounds glowing review, I was expecting some fireworks here. Initially, the nose once again presented an impression of ripe richness with medium-minus intense notes of almond, green herbs and slightly silicious minerality. It was medium bodied, but closed in on itself to the point of resembling dense water; an impression only offset by piercingly pronounced acidity which –it has to be noted– somehow managed to avoid being tart and even linger in a not entirely unpleasant manner.
Tasted last, the nose kicks it up a notch in precision if unfortunately not intensity, with notes of lime and its rind, flat leaf parsley & lavas and full-fledged Serein clay. Unfortunately, the palate has not budged at all and since there is hardly any mid-palate flavour, there can not be a finish either. I feel a numerical representation of my appreciation for this showing in no way reflects the true potential of this wine, as I can almost sense the fabulous potential lurking somewhere within its considerable dry matter. Hors categorie it is then and maybe the quarter bottle I took home (I let the others drink everything else and take home what was left) to further the intrests of empirical science will show more of itself tomorrow.
I’m beat… I’m off to bed to sleep off the remainder of my hangover…