| Score: |
95 AG.
"The 2017 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru is one of the classiest and most refined wines in this range. Light, gracious and impossibly refined, the Montée de Tonnerre shows why this premier cru is so highly regarded. All the elements are perfectly in place. Silky, pliant and wonderfully expressive, with terrific energy, the Montée de Tonnerre hits all the right notes. In a word: sublime. The 2018 harvest started on August 30 at Raveneau. ‘It was our second-earliest harvest,’ Isabelle Raveneau told me. ‘Only 2003 was earlier.’ Tasted from barrel, the wines are soft and supple, but have plenty of that signature Raveneau stylishness. The 2017s have even more, though. More tension, more nuance and more expression of place. Sadly, yields were down 30%, which is not as severe as 2016, when production was down a whopping 50%. As always, the wines are fermented (both primary and secondary) in stainless steel, and then racked into barrel for élevage. Occasionally some lots are fermented in wood, but that is only for new barrels that need to be seasoned. Highly coveted by winelovers around the world, the Raveneau Chablis remain distinctive and soulfully beautiful.” Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com, Jul 2019 |