2018 Arbois Chardonnay
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Tasting notes
I liked the bottled 2018 Arbois Chardonnay better than the unbottled sample I tasted last time. It's a neatly made Chardonnay with some toasty and spicy notes, a little creamy, nicely textured, more Burgundian that most examples from Jura. The wine is tasty and finished with a salty note, with integrated oak and the signature of a fine winemaking team.
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Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Arbois Chardonnay is absolutely delicious. Bright and yet also generous, the Chardonnay captures the richness of this year quite well. Lemon peel, white flowers, mint and light tropical accents all run through this super-expressive, inviting Chardonnay. What a beautiful wine this is. I would open the 2018 in advance to allow a touch of reduction to blow off.
This cuvée is made from several different parcels located in Arbois and Montigny-lès-Arsures. The vineyards sit mostly on hilltops, over marly soils, with more clay than in the sites for the single-vineyard Chardonnays. Their elevation is the highest of the estate (close to 400 m). Fermentation in barrels and foudres. Ageing is in 350- and 500-litre barrels (of which 5% are new oak) for about 30% of the crop. The balance is in foudre and vats. Ripe, creamy but also chalky nose, citrus and fresh apple, direct, pure and very fresh. Creamy, firm, chewy. Tightly packed on the palate and opens slowly to a long, creamy yet fresh finish. Purity and depth but not the same minerality as in the single-vineyard wine. Creamy and rich as it opens up. Surprising depth for the modest alcohol. (JH)