Focus on the wines of Chablis

Spotlight on Chablis
Tasting 20 impressive wines from this famous appellation

Chablis, how I have neglected you! One of the first articles on wineanorak.com, back in 2000, was on Chablis (here). But since then, I haven’t written much about Chablis at all. So it was nice to spend some time immersed in Chablis, drinking and tasting it, a few weeks ago. Here are my notes on the 20 wines I tasted that day. They were consistently good – and I’ve come away with my appetite for Chablis fully awakened.

Alain Geoffroy Petit Chablis 2013 Burgundy, France
Complex, creamy nose with nice floral citrus notes. Textured and fine on the palate with white peach and a bit of spice. Stylish with nice focus. 90/100

Sylvain Mosnier Petit Chablis 2013 Burgundy, France
Fresh and bright with a lovely core of citrus fruit and nice precision. Quite lovely. 89/100

Domaine de la Motte Petit Chablis 2013 Burgundy, France
Taut and slightly reductive with a stony, slight cabbagey nose (in a nice way). Taut citrus and pear palate with subtle herby notes. Stylish and distinctive. 90/100

Alain et Cyril Gautheron Chablis 2013 Burgundy, France
Focused citrus fruit here. Mineral with pear and grapefruit palate. Taut and lively with a nice mineral edge. 91/100

Domaine Billaud Simon Chablis Tête d’Or 2013 Burgundy, France
Stony and crisp with nice citrus and pear fruit. Focused and bright with a stony directness. Lovely. 92/100

Domaine de la Cornasse Chablis 2013 Burgundy, France
Stony and lemony with taut citrus and pear fruit. Precise and fresh with lovely focus. 91/100

Louis Moreau Chablis 2014 Burgundy, France
Very fresh with hints of straw, spice and minerals. Has some sternness and also some lemony brightness. 90/100

Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Les Vieilles Vignes de Sainte Claire 2013 Burgundy, France
There’s a creamy edge to the mineral-laced pear and citrus fruit, with a nice spicy hint. Taut and intense. 91/100

Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent 2012 Burgundy, France
Taut reductive nose. Lively, fresh and lemony with a hint of matchstick adding interest to the concentrated citrus flavours. Linear and quite deep. 93/100

Domaine Besson Chablis 1er Cru Montmains 2013 Burgundy, France
Fresh, with lovely ripe, sweet blackurrant-tinged grapefruit and pear notes. Very fine with real personality. 92/100

Jean-Claude Courtault Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy 2013 Burgundy, France
Textured with lovely pear and citrus fruit and hints of white peach. Subtle herb and tangerine characters. Lovely density and concentration. 93/100

J Moreau et Fils Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2013 Burgundy, France
Fresh and taut with nice mineral and spice notes. Very attractive citrus fruit. Lively and precise with nice focus. 91/100

Vincent Dampt Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet 2013 Burgundy, France
Creamy and textured with lovely fresh, spicy notes. Nice depth. Very creamy. 91/100

Daniel Dampt et fils Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy 2013 Burgundy, France
Very fine, fresh and expressive with lively mineral notes. Pure and stony with textured, mineral pear fruit. 93/100

Jean-Paul et Benoît Droin Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu 2013 Burgundy, France
Lovely finesse and concentration here, with pear, ripe apple and spice. Concentrated and fine with real precision. 93/100

La Chablisienne Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonerre 2013 Burgundy, France
Lively but with some depth. Rounded with sweet pear fruit and a hint of toast. Very textural with lovely breadth; powerful but fine. 92/100

Domaine Alexandre Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume 2013 Burgundy, France
Fresh and slightly herby with bright, open, juicy citrus fruit. Quite fine with a sort of crystalline quality. Pure with some depth. 92/100

Domaine des Malandes Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2012 Burgundy, France
Lively and taut with citrus and spice, ripe apples, fennel and some herbiness. Has some richness yet retains focus. 92/100

Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot 2012 Burgundy, France
Concentrated, rich and stony with a mineral core. Nice density of citrus and pear fruit with some warmth to the bold fruit. Lively and focused. 92/100

Domaine Jean Collet et fils Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 2012 Burgundy, France
Lively with lovely grapefruit, pear and tangerine notes, as well as a bit of spice. Lovely weight. 93/100

Wines tasted July 2015