This premier cru chablis is one of the best that I have enjoyed over the last 5 years or so. May be one notch behind the Simmonet Fevre Montmains 2010 1er, possibly because the wine had been abused on the warm Co-op shelves for a long- long - time.

Lovely leesy milky chardonnay to begin with, that was NOT particularly dry with a long flavour. As the wine opens, the leesy softer feel falls back, the mineral flint and some salt purity appears and the wine firms-up on the palate, and this is very lovely when combined with that beautifully judged french oak. Super subtle, clearly very expensive oak (say 5-8% new) that is totally integrated shows very well on second day. You could mistake this chablis for a light Chassagne Montrachet from the 2008 vintage - very very similar profile.

A great chablis, and worthy of the professional comments that you can find on the web. Jancis said this would keep till 2018, and I'm pretty sure it would, had one bought from the cool distribution warehouse at full price.

This producer is very skilled, experienced and talented, don't expect much change from £20 if you find it elsewhere. All the more reason to check out all the big Co-Ops when passing.

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Duncan

A great tasting note Duncan
Thanks for this as it reminded me that I had a store to visit that had a load of these in the fridge at full price a week or two back
Paid it a visit tonight and they had been reduced to £7
I cleared the fridge of all their stock: 13x 08 MM & 4x 09 Vallions

Shez, for me, you have scored £120 quids worth of nectar, that could have cost you £350 at a wine merchant. Wonderful bargains

Brilliant find. I'm very envious.

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Duncan

Boo ! Foul ref...

I tried 8 or 9 shops and found only 2 bottles. One gone (nice) one left. Must try again.

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

Yeah, sorry guys. I've been really lucky this year with my finds at co-op
Crazy thing is I think I've drunk not more than 6 bottles from my cellar do far this year (not to say I haven't been out drinking else mind you)
So my stocks have rocketed up
I must try and cut back on the buying now but not until I manage to score some ch. Potensac labelled to be arriving at a store nearby hopefully soon

Dunc, I also managed to find some of the 5th Growth Belgrave for £7 in one store the other week (2x 2004 & 3x 2006)
All other stores I've visited are still asking £25 (both stocking 2007 vintage)

Shez, I'm not going to say - Boo, Foul, Ref . Well I just did How can you cut back on buying those finds ? When do you think those prices are going to be repeated, They are fine wines and will last. Gather in the harvest, and store well.

Enjoy them all the more. With your stocks of Co-op fine wines, I'd be "lording it" - all night, and would have to be disciplinned

Enjoy Shez, particularly the chablis, cos I could drink a whole bottle myself at one sitting. It slides down so beautifully. With spring just round the corner, and 20 bottles of premier cru in your cellar, you have some great suppers lined up - enjoy.

On a side note, and considering.....

I'm sorry that the Co-Op are having to sell their own farms The ex chairman of the Co-Op bank, and his self appointed side kick should be made to suffer. There is no incentive to behave responsibly, these high flying white collar yobos don't get punished for cras stupidity.....So it goes on, and on , and on.....

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Duncan

Guys, keep checking your co-op stores as some of the discounted bin ends have been further discounted
Not so many of the premium wines available now but some bargains such as the Brocard Chablis 1er now £7 and Errazuriz wild ferment Chardonnay is now £5 amongst others
You may get lucky and find stick had been transferred from other stores too

...per ardua...

Got the last 3 Brocard's from a suburb shop. Bar code redded out and priced at £9. Went through the till at £7.
Must keep going...

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

I must find another large Co-Op. But I do keep checking, Shez.

The locals there have finally sussed it - it took them long enough ! All the Brocard 1er gone as well as all the 2007 claret. One bottler of CNdP clos d'Oratoire that I left, still £14.99.

Further rooting around and took 2 x Sauternes (halves) and 2 x Pink fizz, Madame de Maintenon for £30 the lot.

The Clos Floridene graves blanc - still £17 - unfortunately

I keep looking.

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Duncan

I've not tried the Brocard 1er but with all the Billaud -Simon I've acquired I didn't think it necessary. Am I missing a trick here?

The Clos Floridene graves blanc I've seen reduce to around £14.50 so I haven't bothered with that. Perhaps sub £10 I'd give it a go

2007 Chateau Le Boscq was the latest find the other night @ £7 and 2 bottles of the 2008 Nicolas Potel Santenay VV Blanc @ £5 which I've purchased before

I'm tempted to go get more of the Errazuriz wild ferment @ £5. I'd already bought 6 @ £7 so should give one a go to check its good and can last (CT reviews are very good and certainly give the impression it's got a few years in it)

We are talking classic 1er - right

No, you're not mising a trick. The Billaud-S Mont de Milieu '08 1er is at the top of the tree, followed by the '09 Vaillons. In a perfect world we would have prefered a '10 Vaillons with a little oak from Billaud-S. I have found the '09's to be a little softer, sometimes less elegant "generally" and when unoaked, do not keep quite so well - the cheap one ones can be very slightly soapy from too ripe a crop.

The Brocard '10 is a generic 1er, and does not have the class, oak or minerality of the '08 M de M - However it is still jolly nice chablis for the price. Also the Brocard '10 is from an equally fab vintage, and may keep better than the '09 Vaillons given that we are buying wines that have hung-around for a long time.

When all the '10s are gone (of any good chablis) and for a non oaked wine, I shall be very sorry, the fruit from this vintage seems to be capable of producing a very brightand firm wine from a good producer, and therefore the price can be right.

That's my two cents on recent Chablis.

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Duncan

Visited 4 shops within a 1 mile radius. Same wines different prices. Different wines all prices. A Pouilly had bar code biro-ed out and marked d/l but was full whack at the till. The Sauterne was priced at £6.72 but was £10 at the till. Co-op needs to get their act together.
Got a Falanghina for £4.98, the Sauterne at the shelf price and a Barossa Riesling at £7.

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

Of course, if Co-Op got their act-together, then our friend Shez will not be finding all these bargains in his neck of the woods.

I fought through heavy traffic - from 2:00pm - why after Lunch for pete's sake ! To investigate a new bigger Co-Op. There was the (£12.49) Pouilly Fume' on 2011 that was reduced, as Ba says to £8.75 - I think. 2011 Loire not particularly exciting versus the bright and crunchy 2010 vintage - so didn't grab.

The St Estephe 2007 Chateau Le Boscq was £17.99. The Senejac 2008 was £18.99.
Clos Floridene 2011 was £14.49 (19.99 full retail) and there was a Sancerre 2012 that was reduced to £9.49.

So I left empty handed - After checking every crook and cranny in the wine section
I havent given-up yet. But I'm fairly sure this is a store clearance decision - Not HQ, so trawling the same shops again may not be fruitfull - I'll check another store, one late evening.

Ba, Glad you got the Sauterne Halves for £6.72. I managed to wrangle my pair for £6 each with a clearance tease with the "tiller girl" when I took the 2 x pink fizz for £9 each.

No Barossa reisling for £3 that G got ! Nor any at a straight £7 either.

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Duncan

Bang on in line with Duncan's TN earlier this year
Creamy, floral, lemony & slightly salty. Top notch stuff
The acidy should allow it to keep on going a good while

Top notch stuff

It does you good to be reminded of what craftsmanship, skill and terroir tastes like.

Surely is that, a wonderful Chablis, now holding better, and with more complexity than the Simmonet Fevre Montmains '10, because of the mineral purity & harmony with beautiful light oak subtlety. Of these chablis, I only have two of each of the Billaud- Simon left and a few Brocard generic 1ers from the Co-op steal. The four yellow foil BS wines enjoy top shelf promotion in my wine cooler, along with chassagne and 2 Puligny clearance gems.

I am reminded of your Maj find, please keep a watchful eye on your Fontaine Gagnard '07 chassagne, Shez. Keep in the coolest part of your cellar / home, the beauty of that ballerina requires the utmost attention.

Enjoy.

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Duncan