2016 Chablis Foret
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Chablis Forêt 1er Cru is a little more tight-lipped on the nose compared to the Les Montmains, requiring more coaxing from the glass. That could be a sign of bottle shock. The palate is very promising with a crisp line of acidity, gentle grip and a live-wire, spicy finish that matches the exotic style of the vintage. This "warms up" in the glass and shows great potential, but may require your patience.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
From a parcel of younger vines, the 2016 Chablis 1er Cru Forêt offers up attractive aromas of lemon, green apple, oystershell and spring flowers. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, glossy and pure, with racy acids, attractive purity and a delicately chalky finish. It's one of the most elegantly open-knit wines in the Raveneau cellar.
(the yield from these roughly 35-year-old vines was in the normal range of 45 to 50 hectoliters per hectare, according to Isabelle Raveneau): Pale yellow. Classic Chablis notes of citrus fruits, menthol and white flowers, with an attractive "cold" aspect that I did not find in the previous wines. Then gentle on the palate in spite of its freshness, offering flavors of soft citrus fruits, menthol and powdered stone. Not a particularly fruity style but pliant. Isabelle noted that these vines, like those in the family's Butteaux holding, are very healthy.