2014 Chablis

Pale, green-tinged yellow. Very pure aromas of lemon, lime and dusty stone. Precise, juicy and vibrant; almost austere in its citrus peel, white pepper and stony mineral character. Serious village wine.

The 2014 Chablis from the Domaine comes from Fevre's own grapes and sees 5 to 10% raised in used oak for 4 to 6 months before blending in tank. It has a lifted, fresh Granny Smith apple and dewy-lawn nose that is well defined and precise. The palate is crisp and fresh with a fine line of acidity, that judicious use of oak just filling in the gaps, taking away some of the severity that would have been on the finish. As such, it is an approachable Chablis, fizzing with freshness and tension.

The 2014 Chablis from the Domaine comes from Fevre's own grapes and sees 5 to 10% raised in used oak for 4 to 6 months before blending in tank. It has a lifted, fresh Granny Smith apple and dewy-lawn nose that is well defined and precise. The palate is crisp and fresh with a fine line of acidity, that judicious use of oak just filling in the gaps, taking away some of the severity that would have been on the finish. As such, it is an approachable Chablis, fizzing with freshness and tension. ||No trip to Chablis would be complete without a visit to William Fevre, a producer who combines quantity and quality, in no small part thanks to the talent of head winemaker Didier Séguier. Just like last year we convened in their cellar door adjacent to the Bistro de Grand Cru restaurant. We began by discussing the 2013 vintage that I tasted from vat last year. He told me that in 2013 they began the harvest on September 25 and finished just before the storm on October 3 or 4. As I predicted, these are some of the best 2013s, That picking date was crucial as they avoided the rains that hampered others, especially those with sizable holdings that simply could not expedite the picking for logistical reasons. Their Chablis Bougros Côte Bouguerots 2013 stands as one of the peaks of an admittedly inconsistent vintage, while the Chablis les Clos is not far behind. ||However, the 2014s show more promise than the 2013s. “Flowering was difficult in 2014 because of the warm weather that caused outbreak of coulure, particularly in the earlier [ripening] part of Chablis in the Premier and Grand Cru,” Didier explained. “This reduced the yield by 20% to 30%, but it was not the case for Petit Chablis and Chablis as the flowering tends to be later. That said, the yield was better than 2013, but still less than average. It can be compared to 2012 for us. With regard to the Premier Crus the yield was 25 hectoliters per hectare up to 40 hectoliters per hectare. The summer was not perfect. The weather was a little bit fresh and humid, but at the end of August and September the weather was perfect, the north wind concentrating the fruit. The fruit was perfectly healthy during the harvest with no botrytis. We harvested everything in small baskets and on the sorting table we didn't find anything to take out. We only needed 2 or 3 people manning the table de trie instead of 6 to 8. We started the harvest on September 15 and finished eight days afterwards on September 24. After September 20 there was a stabilization of the sugar accumulation, so there was no need to pick really late apart from some Petit Chablis and Chablis with poor exposure.” In common with many other growers, the 2014s just display more tension, more vigor and for want of a better word, are more “Chablis” than the 2013s. Admittedly, the gap is not as conspicuous here as say at Jean-Marc Brocard, but there is still a tangible difference. I asked Didier himself to summarize the differences between the two vintages.|“I think 2014 is more mineral and fresh, a perfect vintage for purists and Chablis lovers. The 2013s are more approachable with a little less acidity and good richness. The wines are easy to drink and probably with less aging potential compared to 2014." eRobertParker.com.August, 2015