I opened a bottle of this 2006 Chablis to see how it was getting on. I wish I hadn't been cautious.

Massive fruit concentration and jaw dropping acidity - not yet ready, when ready the minerals which are there will come through as a good 1er wine.
I was having grilled whole trout, heavily seasonned with our garden herbs, lashings of black ground pepper corns, herb salt and burnt / grilled butter.

The trout was watery farmed (not wild), and the Chablis completely destroyed it. In fact the Chablis was very nice with ground pepper, burnt butter and *homemade bread and butter ( * courtesy of Panasonic SD-206)

Next time I open this will be with well smoked salmon - around Christmas 2011, and then again in early 2013 when it will blow a load of premier cru marques out of the water, particularly those from lesser vintages.

Laithwaites have sold out of the 2006, But there is some on line for £11.49 here and there. I paid a bit less, before this 2006 Vielles Vignes offering from Bieville got known.

The Matter of Fact label belies what is inside ! Very pale straw gold in the glass, very pure and racey.

_________________
Duncan

I left a third of the bottle well stoppered and sucked out in the fridge for 48 hours. The fruit had deteriorated a tad more than I thought, Therefore I'm predicting a gradual change in primary flavour in 2012 that some folks don't want. If there is any oak there, it is a tiny percentage from well used barrels for this cuvee. Chablis varies completely between the Beauroy 2 kilometers north east of the town, and the grand cru Clos behind the town on the East and the 1er de Mille 1 kilometer south east. There are loads of petite chablis doms that are rather north of the region - best to look-up these before buying, some are frost prone and the fruit is unripe in an ordinary year.

The last time I had 2001 Grand Cru a treat from the Wine Society friend, I was foxed because the host hid the bottle and it had been years since I'd experienced a proper grand cru Clos. The CG is very very different from brand discounted boggy standard or many 1ers for that matter.

Goose I know that you won't give cheap oily or expensive buttery French Chardonnay house room, too cloying for your razor palate. I have to say though, you would really * like these minerally flinty and very firm CG ones, they have hilltop gentian flower perfume, and are very pale and taut sophisticated elegance - * I'm certain of that.

Only one snag !

_________________
Duncan

Tesco have a Laroche 2005 premier cru for £10.99. I will check which one next time i'm in.

Not listed at the website.

I have had a few decent unoaked Chablis and St Verans and I do get that butteryness especially with the St Verans which are much nicer than basic Macon and in the case of Chablis some flinty mineral too. Usually with lemony fruit.

I once detected a hint of mushroom on a Laroche basic.

I am not a great chardonnay fan though.

Long live the gooseberry

premier cru - which vineyard territory ? please

Ha ha - You wouldn't recognise chablis GC "Les Clos" as chardonnay as we know it. I'd put money on it - I was foxed

My friend, I snapped up some of the Michel Laroche 1er cru "Les Beauroy" 2002 for a quid less at the Henley store. The 2005 can be a bit fat and same-ey from some 1er cuvees. Look up the vineyard territory when buying if you can. The 2002 if it has held ? (only 6 years since release), the 2002 vintage can be more classic and cliquey than the 2005 when one moves up the tree. I am hoping that the *oak that M. Laroche is usually blamed for, for putting too much in the cuvee, will have provided a sufficient prop for the 2002 fruit that could be fading a tad. Beauroy does not dry-out as quickly as other 1ers, but the Beauroy is not so fashionably classic with as much chique and lippy lean muscular grip !

*Well used and soft oak can be mushroomy Laroche semi-basic has 8% oak as I recall.

BTW, The Piere Trimbach 2001 Riesling was still £20 in Henley reduced 6.99 from £26.99 previous retail You ought to buy me some at a tenner down your way - Amazing value - I'll send a cheque by return.

_________________
Duncan

Duncan

I see that you're in Berkshire. I don't suppose you're going to the Foodies Festival at Hampton Court over the weekend, are you?

I'm doing a sherry masterclass there at 1.30 tomorrow and the forecast is looking good.

_________________
mel

Mel, It would be great to see you there, regardless of the sherry masterclass. (which would certainly educate me)

I phoned my dear Misses about an hour ago at work, to see what i could do to help with supper, and arrange one or two jollies for the coming week. My dear Misses is up to her ears. It is one day at a time at the mo, and right now, if I maintain the stance of an efficient footman, I will have earnt a £ good £. She needs home TLC this week-end whilst she solves some tough situations.

Don't give up asking - many thanks for the invite.

_________________
Duncan

No, I was wrong.
I finished off the last one of these last night. For the minerality to be detectable, if it ever was significant ! Would have been totally dependant on the acidity in the mouth, and perhaps immaturity of the fruit in the bottle, and not from the roots of the vine.

The fruit 12 months later was even more lifted than when enjoyed last May. This lift is a dead ringer for the 1st stage of Bret in pinot noir, and I have not experienced it with cheaper chardonnay (which just goes moldy). However I still quite liked the wine, even though..... I could have been reducing the height of an old brushwood hedgerow, by waving around a small chain saw...... from the middle flavours coming through. Then quite a big Tio Pepe note on the finish. Well .....not really Chablis now, but quite interesting.

Just shows you that claims that ordinary Chablis on the 2006 (early maturing), not Vieilles Vignes level, is unlikely to last in your personal cellars, and may evolve in an unwelcome way, and should only be bought now in July 2010 from a retailer who can confirm that they have cold storage, and that you are not buying a dusted down bottle that has been on the shelf.

Tidying up and sharpening my Chablis experience with varying amounts of bottle age, is not hard work

I shall be moving on to a few aged and fuller 1er Chablis styles fairly soon.

_________________
Duncan