Oyster-shell reduction and a note of lime on the classic Chablis nose. Dense, juicy and firm, boasting excellent definition to its flavors of oyster shell, lime and white flowers. Penetrating but not aggressive in spite of its firm acidity, finishing with excellent subtle length and grip. This terrific village wine is an exceptional value--but make sure you get the Domaine bottling.
The “estate bottling” of Chablis villages from William Fèvre is even a step up from the very lovely Champs Royaux in 2015. The bouquet is deeper and more refined, wafting from the glass in a mélange of lime, green apple, a touch of oyster shell, chalky soil and fruit blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very nicely balanced, with a good core, fine focus and impressive length and grip on the vibrant and nascently complex finish. This is really a serious example of AC Chablis this year!
A reductive, stainless-steel style of Chablis, this gains some weight from the concentration of fruit. It’s succulent and leesy while remaining clean, zesty and fresh, needing bottle time for the components to come together.
This is rich and ripe, offering peach, honey and lemon flavors. Turns bracing and compact, with a long, minerally finish. Could benefit from short-term cellaring.
The 2014 Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte Bouguerots has an extremely focused, mineral-dense bouquet that is "vrai Chablis." There is a strong marine influence here. The palate is fresh and vibrant with lemon zest, lime, minerals and a crescendo of power toward the finish. Around 70% is vinified in oak and matured for six months before transferring into stainless steel, and this fills out, adds volume to the finish. There is a pleasant bitter note right on the finish. This should be superb.
This is also completely classic and even more aromatically complex with a plethora of sea shore nuances to the cool green fruit scents. On the palate this is dense, powerful and quite serious with brooding flavors that brim with dry extract that buffers the firm acid spine on the intensely mineral-driven and explosively long finish. This is the biggest wine in the range yet impeccably well-balanced and if not exactly refined, then certainly not rustic either. If this can add even more depth than I am projecting my predicted score will seem to be overly conservative.
Bougros produces rich wines, and this wine comes from the extra-ripe vineyard at the base of the slope. It is generous, giving a weighty character with the flavors plumbing the depths of richness. On top, a beautiful, almost sweet acidity leaves a fresh feeling in the mouth.
This is perennially one of my favorite wines and one that I buy virtually every vintage. The 2013 version displays a deft touch of oak that again is sufficiently subtle as to allow the ripe and very fresh white and yellow orchard fruit, sea breeze and iodine scents to shine. There is excellent punch as well as fine detail to the almost aggressively mineral-driven flavors that possess good power but also a lovely sense of refinement on the wonderfully long and impeccably well-balanced finish. Exquisite.
The 2015 Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte de Bouguerots was the standout wine when I tasted the range of William Fèvre from barrel. Now in bottle, the nose has closed down, but there remains a brooding intensity here and superb minerality. The palate is very well balanced with a touch of orange zest and quince on the entry. There is a keen line of acidity here and quite a powerful finish that lingers long in the mouth.
