Domaine Raveneau • Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2016

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₩1,006,104 KRW

92 points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, August 2018

From one of the parcels that suffered the most in this challenging vintage, the 2016 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre offers up notes of citrus zest, pear, lemongrass and anise. On the palate, it's full-bodied, rounded and very glossy, with good concentration and stony depth but an atypically gourmand, textural profile. It's a lovely wine, but it isn't one of the great classics from this superb vineyard.

What explains the Raveneau magic? Yields here aren't excessively high, but they're not the region's lowest. Fermentation at between 18 and 20 degrees centigrade in tank, followed by élevage on the lees in used barrels define the very elementary outlines of the winemaking process—a description that would equally apply to Vincent Dauvissat's stylistically different wines. The devil is, presumably, in the details. And it's a conundrum I'm content to ponder for the foreseeable future, as the Domaine Raveneau is undoubtedly the source of some of Chablis's greatest wines—and its most dependably long-lived. Isabelle Raveneau told me that the 2016s we tasted had been bottled in mid-April. In this vintage, yields were down 30% for the domaine as a whole, but yields varied considerably by location, from as little as 15 hectoliters per hectare in some sites to as much as 50 hectoliters per hectare in others. The wines vary in profile accordingly. At this early stage, the 2017s appear more homogeneous, classic but charming in style, marrying characteristically Chablisien cut and tension with a touch of sun-kissed generosity. I suspect they may end up resembling a hypothetical blend of the 2009 and 2010 vintages—but their quality and character will be more clear after more élevage. I'll try to retaste them again at the end of the year if I can.

- William Keeley

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From cellar-to-cellar, or cellar to shelf, we maintain the highest standards, thanks to close relationships with the finest producers of wine across the globe, ensuring authenticity.


We maintain strict, direct, temperature- controlled delivery from the cellar to the customer, guaranteeing the integrity of each vintage’s character and flavor profile.

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