Chablis is a wine for oysters…
…born from their shells
A well worded quote from Chablis: Bernard Ginestet’s Guide to the Vineyards of France, particularly in reference to the Grand Cru vineyards which are planted primarily on Kimmeridgean soil, a blend of limestone, clay and fossilized oyster shells. These soils of the Grand Cru slopes, along with a south-south-west exposure allowing for maximum sunshine in this northernmost “cool climate” region of Burgundy, allow for one of the purest and unique expressions of Chardonnay in the world.
According to domain’s website, William Fevre descended from a family which lived in the Chablis region for two and a half centuries before officially declaring their first vintage in 1959. Since then, the domain has acquired more vineyards in Chablis with 15.2 of their 78 hectares classified as Grand Cru. 2.55 of those hectares come from two parcels of vines planted in the Grand Cru known as Les Preuses, or 22% of that appellation. Wine from Les Preuses often is described as full or round, sometimes easy, and as far as I’m concerned usually delicious, especially in a vintage like 2012. After temperature fluctuations and periods of rain to start the vintage, dry and warm weather prevailed from mid-July until September. This allowed the grapes to reach optimum maturity, providing perfect balance between concentration and freshness. Perhaps this is why William Fevre’s Director Didier Seguier told Allen Meadows that the 2012s “are arguably the best wines made in the last 15 years.”
The Burghound seemed to nearly agree as he scored their 2012 Les Preuses 96 points, placing it right behind the 97 point 2010 as the Highest Scoring Vintage with this fantastic review:
“This is arguably the most elegant wine in the range with its ultra-pure aromas of quinine, oyster shell, mineral reduction and floral elements that are also trimmed in just enough wood to warrant commenting on it. There is a caressing, even seductive mouth feel to the beautifully well-delineated and concentrated medium-bodied flavors that possess an almost delicate quality before culminating in a nearly startlingly explosive finish that just goes on and on. This bone dry effort is an exercise in harmony and grace, or otherwise expressed, a classic Preuses. In a word, brilliant.”
But I guess John Gilman fully agreed as he scored William Fevre’s 2012 Les Preuses 97+ points in A View From the Cellar tying it with 2010 as the Highest Scoring Vintage with this glowing review:
“The 2012 les Preuses from Domaine William Fevre is another absolute monument to the vintage, as it delivers a brilliant aromatic constellation of pink grapefruit, pear, tangerine, lemon blossoms, lime zest, oyster shell and every conceivable variation on the theme of chalky minerality. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very, very pure on the attack, with a great core of fruit and stunning length and grip on the racy and completely transparent finish. This wine possesses simply gorgeous fruit and floral tones, but it is absolutely defined by its magical minerality!”
After enjoying a bottle over dinner earlier this week, I can tell you the wine is phenomenal. It worked wonderfully with an assortment of sushi and sashimi and of course paired gloriously with some local oysters. But as this wine has the stuffing to age and evolve, I can see a cream sauce accompanying this wine about five years down the road. Regardless of whether you finish your summer while sipping on some or cellar bottles for special occasions, I highly suggest grabbing what’s left of our limited allocation.