2012 Chablis Montee de Tonnerre
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Tasting notes
This wine was tasted blind at the Burgundy 2012 tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre has an earthy bouquet at first, eventually revealing lemon thyme, pear and Clementine scents that unfurl enticingly in the glass. The palate is fresh and vibrant on the entry with a light smear of honey and perhaps just a touch of oakiness in the background, although I feel this will be assimilated with time. Perhaps it is missing just a touch of personality at the moment, perchance amidst a dumb phase? Therefore, give it a couple of years in bottle, as previously it showed so much potential.
Critic scores
Average Score
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
An elusive, ethereal wine, the 2012 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre is built in a core of deep, saline minerality. Grapefruit, oyster shells and crushed rocks abound in a translucent, crystalline Chablis that expresses the purest essence of this great site. The 2012 needs time in bottle, but it is striking, even today.
Pale, green-tinged yellow. Pungent aromas of lime zest, wet stone and saline oyster shell. Densely packed, creamy and deep, with a combination of strong minerality and lively acidity (4.5 grams per liter) giving cut to the lime, pineapple and oyster shell flavors. Richer than the Lys but a bit less taut, even if it's still a bit reduced and in need of patience. This extremely long wine should enjoy a slow and graceful evolution in bottle.
Ripe citrus, creamy and steely at the same time and so inviting. Very very crisp, lightish weight but long and mouthwatering and full of tension. (JH)
About the producer
Established in the late 1950s, William Fèvre was one of the leaders in Chablis’s renaissance. Today he crafts benchmark expressions of fine Chardonnay from some of the top vineyard sites in the region, working with many of the best Premier and Grand Cru vineyards.