Another invitiation from VinUnic, another stunning lunch, another vivacious winemaker and another set of gorgeous wines - life is hard...:-)
Hervé Tucki from La Chablisienne presented the wines and talked about Chablis, Château Grenouille, vintages and much more with great passion and humour.
We were greated with a glass of
2006 Vive-la-Joie, Caves de Bailly
This lovely Crèmant de Bourgogne consists of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir. The nose is light, fresh and lively with notes of oyster shells, earth and seaweed. A nice sweetness to the fruit. Very good.
The taste is medium big and fresh with notes of almonds, crushed oyster shells and dry fudge. The finish is on the light side but it is clean and healthy. Apparently, this is the first vintage of this cuvée. For 23 Euro, this is a bargain.
87p (tasted 2013/04)
Then a smattering of Chablis bottles followed, and at the end of the lunch my teeth were strained from the amounts of acidity, but I was happy...
2011 Petit Chablis, La Chablisienne
A young, petit (!) nose with notes of green apples, pears, lemon peel and a fine spiciness. Cool and fine.
The taste is young and unrelieved with notes of green apples, crushed rocks and lots of minerals. Very good although I would like it 2-3 years older.
85p (tasted 2013/04)
2007 Chablis Cuvée LC La Séreine, La Chablisienne
A fine, elegant nose with a touch of maturity and notes of yellow apples, earth, crushed rocks and a lovely smoky note. Not a hint of warmth.
The taste is cool, elegant and fine with notes of ripe pears, minerals, grilled lemons and lots of fresh acidity. This is drinking perfectly right now, but will surely keep for 4-6 years. A find for 17 Euro!
88p (tasted 2013/04)
2010 Chablis 1er Cru La Singulière, La Chablisienne
A young, fresh, stony nose with notes of oyster shells, grey pears, almonds and minerals. Very young and you have to coax the glass well, to get those notes out of the glass.
The taste is very young, cool and fresh with lots of just ripe green apples, white currants and lemon peel. Fine fruit but the acidity isn´t as high as many of the other wines. Lacks a bit of charm.
84p (tasted 2013/04)
2010 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre, La Chablisienne
My favourite 1er Cru and this proves why - a deep, elegant, spicy nose with notes of grey pears, flowers, smoke, grass and sweet minerals. Deep and graceful. Very, very fine. Has one more dimension than the Singulière.
The taste is tight, intense and gorgeous with sweet lemons, pears, minerals and almond paste. The finish is long and fresh and the acidity hits the palate with everything it got. Stunning! This should turn out even greater in 5-7 years.
91p (tasted 2013/04)
2004 Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume, La Chablisienne
Mute, mute and mute - that´s the nose. Mute, mute, mute - there´s the taste. This is a 2004 and still its locked in. When we were told to empty our glasses for the next flight, something started to move. Tiny hints of butter fried almonds, grilled lemons and fish stock. Needs pleeenty of time.
The taste didn´t move at all. It is impossible to make a judgement on those minutes that I had with it - but I would surely love to have this for a whole evening. Will get back.
??p (tasted 2013/04)
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| The Enigma... |
A deep, pure, gorgeous nose with notes of white peaches, yellow apples, licorice, crushed rocks and cap gun smoke. The nose is pure hedonism. The smoky note is fantastic. Really, really fine.
The taste is tight, focused and intense with a high flinty acidity packed in a sweet buttery fruit. The finish goes on for a minute. A beautiful purity. Great wine!
93p (tasted 2013/04)
We were then presented with a stunning line up - 7 vintages of the Grand Cru Grenouille, and specifically the Château Grenouille, which La Chablisienne took over in 2003. More info here.
2012 Chablis Grand Cru Château Grenouille, La Chablisienne
This barrel sample almost explodes out of the glass with aromas of spicy pears, lemon peel, wet asphalt and lots of sweet minerals. A lovely spicy note. Beautiful.
The taste is pure, fresh and elegant with notes of yellow apples, white currants, lemon juice and crushed rocks. Very, very fine. Would love to reconnect with this beauty when its bottled.
91p (tasted 2013/04)
2011 Chablis Grand Cru Château Grenouille, La Chablisienne
The 2011 version of Grenouille is medium deep with a nice lemon and whitepeppar nose with some additional notes of warm grass and spices. Not that complex but nice enough.
The taste is the same, good enough but it lacks the nerve and complexity of the other Grenouille´s. Some enjoyable notes of lime, grass and gravel.
85p (tasted 2013/04)
2010 Chablis Grand Cru Château Grenouille, La Chablisienne
A deep, elegant, laid back nose with well groomed notes of lemon peel, crushed oyster shells, gravel and a touch of cap gun smoke. Very pure and fine, even racy. Very young still, this has potential.
The taste is taut, elegant and cool with lots of lemon peel, white peppars, oyster shells and minerals. The finish is long and delicious. Great acidity. This will be stunning in 6-8 years time, mark my words.
91p (tasted 2013/04)
2009 Chablis Grand Cru Château Grenouille, La Chablisienne
This beauty has a very different profile than the others - more open, warmer and hedonistic - and I love it! The nose is deep, intense and gorgeous with notes of grilled lemons, red and white currants, dry fudge and thyme. A lovely perfumed note. Very, very fine.
The taste is deep, pure and rich with notes of lemon cream, summer flowers, almond paste and lots of sweet minerals. The finish is long and creamy. A fine acidity even though its not up to par compared to the 2010 or the 2008. Delicious! For drinking now and the coming 10+ years.
92p (tasted 2013/04)
2008 Chablis Grand Cru Château Grenouille, La Chablisienne
A stunner! Pure and simple - the best wine of the tasting. The nose is a posterchild for complexity, intensity and enjoyment. Gorgeous notes of grey pears, white currants, almond paste, summer flowers and a lovely spiciness flows upp from the glass. Combines the hedonism of the 09 and the raciness of the 10. Magic!
The taste is pure, intense and tight with notes of lemon juice, crushed rocks, almond paste, gravel and a touch of fudge. The finish is one minute long and filled with a taut acidity. Gorgeous now, and probably breathtaking in 5-7 years. Both 08´s were stunning wines - I want some!!
95p (tasted 2013/04)
2007 Chablis Grand Cru Château Grenouille, La Chablisienne
A warm vintage, and it shows. The nose is more spicy with notes of butter fried lemons, ripe yellow apples, licorice and earth. Medium deep. As long as it is chilled it is nice enough but as the temperature rises it beomes a tad unfocused.
The taste is medium big with warm ripe yellow fruit and notes of sun warm rocks, dry fudge and grilled lemons. There is a touch of alchol warmth in the finish, which becomes more dominent when the wine becomes warmer. When drunk chilled it is a nice glass of a semi mature Chablis.
87p (tasted 2013/04)
2006 Chablis Grand Cru Château Grenouille, La Chablisienne
This was served out of magnum bottles. A fine, cool, elegant nose with notes of white currants, lemon peel, fish stock and a touch of a bonfire from a distance. Very, very fine.
The taste is tight, elegant and finely tuned with notes of ripe pears, almond paste, crushed rocks and some fine spicy elements. Medium long and balanced. A touch of maturity, but from magnums, this has a long way to go.
91p (tasted 2013/04)
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