University Wine Society

7 March 2011

For many years, Andrew Baird has been coordinating the tastings for the University Wine Society. The tastings are always informative and entertaining. When the presenter from this month’s tasting became unavailable, he managed to convince John Jens to present a snapshot of Chablis. John has been a good friend to the society for many years, and pulled out all the stops to make this a memorable evening.

Chablis is a sub-region of the Burgundy region in France. The principal grape variety used is chardonnay. An interesting dimension to Chablis is the attitude towards the use of oak. Historically, all but the best wines were un-oaked, but over the last two decades, there has been a gradual increase in oak use to the point where even some generic chablis have oak influences.

There are several designators of quality that are dependent on the location of the vineyards used to grow the grapes. The lowest appellation is Petite Chablis. This is followed by Chablis, Premier Cru (1er Cru) and Grand Cru. There are numerous different vineyards that have premier or Grand Cru status and these sub-regions are mentioned on the label. For example, the Christian Moreau – Chardonnay – Vaillons – 1er Cru is from the Vaillons region. This region has a 1er Cru appellation.

Overall, this was a fantastic tasting that highlighted the quality and diversity of the wines of Chablis.

The wines are reviewed in the order tasted.

Reviewed

Christian Moreau – Chardonnay – Petit Chablis – 2008 (16.75). More expressive fruit. The balance here is the key. Lovely expression of fruit in the mouth. No rough edges to this wine.

Sylvian Mosnier – Chardonnay – Petit Chablis – 2008 (16.5). More restrained nose. Creamy mouth-feel with gentle mineral and nutty notes. Lovely mouth-feel and texture on a creamy, long and almost chewy palate.

Simonnet Febvre – Chardonnay – Petit Chablis – 2008 (16.4). Creamy and textured, but with a touch of curry leaf and minerals running through the palate. Not a lot of character, but a pleasant drink.

Denis Pommier – Chardonnay – Petit Chablis – 2008 (16). Fresh and creamy nose, with some stonefruit characters that are actually quite peachy. Minerals and flint frame the steely palate. Quite long but not complex. Some caramel to close.

William Fevre – Chardonnay – Petit Chablis – 2008 (17). More structure than some. Floral and very pretty, this has an appeal that some others lack. Long palate with refreshing grapefruit acidity. A good wine with real character. An impressive entry level wine.

Sebastien Dampt – Chardonnay – Chablis – 2009 (16.8). More complex aromas. The palate has a step up in complexity. Long, with a sea salt tang to the finish. Creamy and generous, this is an interesting wine, but could do with a touch more depth of fruit.

Sebastien Dampt – Chardonnay – Vaillons – 1er Cru – 2008 (17.2). More complex, with grapefruit and lemon citrus notes. Minerals, steel, powerful palate, with lemon, creamy oak, minerals and a steely finish. The acid is not shy, but carries the finish with aplomb. A solid wine.

William Fevre – Chardonnay – Vaillons – 1er Cru 2008 (17.7). More balanced and rounded than the Dampt. Creamy, textured, long and complex. The acid structure is a little firm now but will settle with time. Great balance and mouth-feel. Not as obvious as some, but an excellent wine with great finesse.

Christian Moreau – Chardonnay – Vaillons – 1er Cru – 2008 (17.9). Lemony fruit combine perfectly with textural wine-maker’s inputs on the nose. The creamy lees aromas complement well judged oak. Pineapple fruit, with lemon butter on the palate is reminiscent of mendoza clone, and the oak is layered over the top of the fruit. Excellent length and persistence. A powerful wine of real appeal.

William Fevre – Chardonnay – Beauroy – 1er Cru – 2008 (18.1). Really intense nose that is quite lovely. Citrus, minerals, spice and perfumed fruit all add to the appeal. Creamy, with seamless acidity. Fresh and vibrant, this is good drinking now, but will get even better with bottle age.

William Fevre – Chardonnay – Beauroy – 1er Cru – 2007 (18.3). A touch more expressive than the 2008, but with a very similar profile. If anything, there is more power on the palate and the finish is a little closed. There are hints of tropical fruit and white-fleshed nectarines. There is fresh acidity on an excellent finish.

William Fevre – Chardonnay – Beauroy – 1er Cru – 2006 (17.7). More seductive and inviting. This is richer and more generous than the younger wines. Powerful fruit on the palate is complemented by acid that is softening. The minerality on the finish is the dominant character. The balance is not quite as good as the 2007

William Fevre – Chardonnay – Beauroy – 1er Cru – 2005 (16.8). More developed and complex than the earlier wines. This is balanced and rich with some honey and textured components. This bottle is perhaps not the best example.

Christian Moreau – Chardonnay – Les Clos – 1er Cru – 2008 (18). Wow! Complex and powerful. This is a powerhouse of flavour. Intense, textured, viscous, long and balanced. There is no subtlety here, but an impressive wine all the same.

William Fevre – Chardonnay – Bougros – Cote Bouguerots – Chablis – Grand Cru – 2008 (18.6). Subtle, complex, intense yet feminine. This is a very seductive and appealing wine. Seamless, this is deceiving as the balance and soft texture make it very appealing. Underneath though, there is immensely powerful fruit. A balanced and complete wine.

William Fevre – Chardonnay – Bougros – Cote Bouguerots – Chablis – Grand Cru – 2005 (18.3). Starting to show the benefits of age. Complexity is increasing, but the acidity is still firm and taught. Again, this is deceptive, as the latent power of fruit is masked in a creamy, silky envelope