2008 Chablis Montee de Tonnerre

From Fevre sites that had to recover from harsh hailing in 2007, their 2008 Chablis Montee de Tonnerre delivers salty, herbed chicken stock aromas and flavors such as only these Kimmeridgian soils seem capable of engendering in vinous form, mingled with tart yet luscious fresh lime and red currant. The higher, southeast-facing Pied d’Aloue contributes finesse, opines Didier Seguier, while the two-thirds share from southwesterly exposed Chapelot just below supplies depth of mineral character. The combination of citrus and berry generosity with striking salinity and carnal depth as well as a vibratory sense of finishing energy epitomize the outstanding potential of its vintage. Expect this to be worth following for the better part of a decade if not longer. The 2008 collection fielded by Didier Seguier and his team maintains their recent streak of excellence, but in a reversal of vintage typicity, seems, if anything, more dominated by its acidity and minerality than the 2007s, and less effusive than many of its vintage. Between poor flowering and dehydration, the crop was down around 20% in 2008 even from that of its hail-trimmed predecessor. The wines as usual were racked from barrel after malo (which this year, meant in April); some were bottled during the summer but the grand crus and most of the premier crus were bottled last November and December. Several of the wines that I tasted (noted in the text, and of course labeled without the word “domaine”) incorporate purchased fruit, but beginning with this vintage, the Fevre team not only calls the shots but does the picking for all of the grapes that inform wines labeled with their name. Like Hugel in Alsace, Fevre has been impressed enough with the new generation of DIAM composite corks to adopt them for a majority of their bottlings, in fact with this vintage for everything save grand cru – so let’s hope their confidence is well-placed! It perhaps also bears repeating that in my opinion there isn’t a track record for aging yet that one can apply to Fevre’s last three collections, the quality having improved too much to extrapolate with any reliably from previous vintages, so please take my prognoses as intuitive hunches. Importer: Henriot, Inc, New York, NY; tel. (212) 605-6706

Pale yellow-green color. Knockout high-pitched nose combines white flowers, crushed stone, citrus peel, gingery spices and a saline oyster shell nuance. Quite reserved today but impeccably pure, displaying outstanding breadth and richness without any impression of weight. Wonderfully vigorous wine that saturates the entire mouth with tactile minerality and excites the taste buds. A great example of this superb premier cru.

50% aged in oak. Back to the riper citrus of the village wine, only more intense. Really, tight, very clean and focused and more mineral and less ripe than I had expected from the nose. Real drive. (JH)