France · Burgundy · Chablis · White · Still · wine-wine · 1217173
Lowest offer: 37.50 GBP (Buy)
Offers: 3 · Bids: 0
| Price / case | Vintage | Packing | Qty | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 225.00 GBP | 2016 | 6 x 75cl | 9 | uk / United Kingdom |
| 523.55 GBP | 2022 | 12 x 75cl | 2 | uk / United Kingdom |
| 523.55 GBP | 2023 | 12 x 75cl | 1 | uk / United Kingdom |
No active bids.
| Vintage | Packing | Offers | Bids | Market price | WA rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 4679.64 | 90 |
| 2016 | 6 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 2339.82 | 90 |
| 2017 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 5024.52 | 94 |
| 2017 | 6 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 2512.26 | 94 |
| 2018 | 6 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 91 | |
| 2019 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2022 | 12 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 89 | |
| 2023 | 12 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2023 | 6 x 75cl | 0 | 0 |
Rating: 92 –92
The 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Les Forêts is one of the broader, more enveloping wines in the range this year, delivering aromas of orange oil, nutmeg, musky peach and apple. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and open, it's ample and expressive, with lively acids and a saline finish.
Rating: 93 –93
Aromas of citrus zest, white flowers, Anjou pear, pastry cream and fresh bread introduce the 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Les Forêts, a medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy wine that's satiny and precise, concluding with a long, saline finish.
Rating: 88 –88
The 2014 Chablis 1er Cru Fôrets, which comes from vines located more toward the bottom of the slope that Patrick uses as an indicator or when to start picking, has a classic, reserved, stony bouquet that is well defined but will need some bottle age. The palate is well balanced, quite saline in the mouth, a touch of bitterness lending tension, but perhaps just needing a little more length.
Rating: 89 –91
The 2011 Chablis Forets is layered with crushed rocks, saline notes, apricots and yellow stone fruits. It captures an attractive combination of minerality and fleshiness. Layers of fruit built to the creamy, expressive finish. Anticipated maturity: 2013+. Patrick Piuze is one of the most thoughtful producers in Chablis, so it is hardly a surprise that these wines continue to show significant improvement. One of the developments over the last year or so has been an experimentation with an old-fashioned mechanical press, which Piuze thinks may give him wines with a greater capacity to age, even if they are a bit tougher upon release. Given the considerable attention, and frankly mystery, that still surrounds the premature oxidation of white Burgundies, it is going to be very interesting to see what this approach yields. Piuze recently took over a section of the old Vocoret cellars in the center of town, which gives him some additional space, which was much needed. Unlike most of his peers, Piuze works exclusively with purchased fruit, most of it from vineyards he farms directly or supervises. Piuze makes a number of fabulous wines, but of particular interest are the "Terroir" series wines, which seek to highlight the unique qualities of each of the main villages within the Chablis appellation. As far as I know, no one else is making wines like this. Piuze bottled some of his 2011s early. Those wines were left on their lees for their entire elevage. I tasted the rest of the 2011s from barrel, where they had never been racked. As for the 2010s, Piuze is one of the few producers who is quite frank in saying he is not a huge fan of the vintage. Accordingly, Piuze chose not to bottle magnums for any of his wines. Various American importers, including: David Bowler Wine, New York, NY; (212) 807-1680, Aliane Wines, La Jolla, CA; tel. (858) 361-4529
Rating: 90 –90
The 2010 Chablis Les Forets is layered with mint, white peaches and flowers. In this vintage, the Forets is soft, sensual and very pretty. Layers of fruit flesh out on the radiant, expressive finish. It is another wine that appears best suited to near-term pleasure. Drink it up. Anticipated maturity: 2012. Patrick Piuze is one of the most thoughtful producers in Chablis, so it is hardly a surprise that these wines continue to show significant improvement. One of the developments over the last year or so has been an experimentation with an old-fashioned mechanical press, which Piuze thinks may give him wines with a greater capacity to age, even if they are a bit tougher upon release. Given the considerable attention, and frankly mystery, that still surrounds the premature oxidation of white Burgundies, it is going to be very interesting to see what this approach yields. Piuze recently took over a section of the old Vocoret cellars in the center of town, which gives him some additional space, which was much needed. Unlike most of his peers, Piuze works exclusively with purchased fruit, most of it from vineyards he farms directly or supervises. Piuze makes a number of fabulous wines, but of particular interest are the "Terroir" series wines, which seek to highlight the unique qualities of each of the main villages within the Chablis appellation. As far as I know, no one else is making wines like this. Piuze bottled some of his 2011s early. Those wines were left on their lees for their entire elevage. I tasted the rest of the 2011s from barrel, where they had never been racked. As for the 2010s, Piuze is one of the few producers who is quite frank in saying he is not a huge fan of the vintage. Accordingly, Piuze chose not to bottle magnums for any of his wines. Various American importers, including: David Bowler Wine, New York, NY; (212) 807-1680, Aliane Wines, La Jolla, CA; tel. (858) 361-4529
Rating: 87 –87
The 2009 Chablis Les Forets is another of the bigger wines in this lineup. The fruit is quite lush, with suggestions of oranges, apricots and tropical notes. Ultimately this comes across as a bit flabby and volatile. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. Patrick Piuze’s resume includes stints with Olivier Leflaive, Jean-Marie Guffens and Domaine Brocard. A desire for more of a hands-on approach in all facets of winemaking led Piuze to start his own micro-negociant operation a few years ago. All of the wines are fermented with ambient yeasts and are aged on their lees in steel and neutral oak with no batonnage. Of the premier crus, the Vaillons, Forets and Butteaux are aged entirely in oak, as are all of the grand crus. The wines go through full malolactic fermentation. Stylistically, the wines lean towards the Cote d’Or in terms of their personalities. In 2009, Piuze began picking on September 14, earlier than normal, and the wines also went into bottle early (before the 2010 harvest), both with the aim of trying to maintain as much freshness as possible. About 50% of the wines are aged in neutral oak. Some of the gems in this lineup are in the entry-level offerings, where there may be less competition for higher quality fruit than in some of the more prestigious sites within Chablis. I was only able to taste one 2010, as the rest of the wines had not yet been bottled at the time of my visit. I also sampled a number of 2008s, including the Vaucoupin, Vaillons, Blanchots and Les Clos, all of which were very pretty. Various American importers, including: David Bowler Wine, New York, NY; (212) 807-1680 and Aliane Wines, La Jolla, CA; tel. (858) 361-4529
Rating: 89 –89
The 2022 Chablis 1er Cru Les Forêts is a rather rich, unctuous wine from this site, mingling aromas of pear and citrus oil with scents of honey, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ripe and textural palate.
Rating: 90 –90
The 2015 Chablis 1er Cru Les Fôrets has a pretty bouquet with hints of yellow flowers and citrus peel, a distant whiff of smoke in the background. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity and a palpable saline influence that develops and then dominates the finish, urging you back for another sip.
Rating: 90 –90
The 2016 Chablis 1er Cru Les Fôrets has a crisp orange zest, tangerine and flint-scented nose that carries its subtle reduction well. The palate is well balanced with a fine line of acidity. It is quite saline in the mouth with a poised, lightly spiced finish that lingers. I suggest affording this a year in bottle so that it gains more cohesion. Thereafter, it should give several years' drinking pleasure.
Rating: 92 –94
The 2017 Chablis 1er Cru Les Forêts is also very promising, offering up notes of crisp peach, iodine, green apple and beeswax. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with a lovely sense of completeness and harmony, concluding with a saline finish.
Rating: 91 –91
The 2018 Chablis 1er Cru Les Forêts offers up aromas of fresh peach, green apples, warm pastry and white flowers. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, round and open-knit, with an easier-going, fleshier profile than the tensile Séchet that preceded it, concluding with a saline finish.
Rating: 89 –91
The 2011 Chablis Forets is layered with crushed rocks, saline notes, apricots and yellow stone fruits. It captures an attractive combination of minerality and fleshiness. Layers of fruit built to the creamy, expressive finish. Anticipated maturity: 2013+. Patrick Piuze is one of the most thoughtful producers in Chablis, so it is hardly a surprise that these wines continue to show significant improvement. One of the developments over the last year or so has been an experimentation with an old-fashioned mechanical press, which Piuze thinks may give him wines with a greater capacity to age, even if they are a bit tougher upon release. Given the considerable attention, and frankly mystery, that still surrounds the premature oxidation of white Burgundies, it is going to be very interesting to see what this approach yields. Piuze recently took over a section of the old Vocoret cellars in the center of town, which gives him some additional space, which was much needed. Unlike most of his peers, Piuze works exclusively with purchased fruit, most of it from vineyards he farms directly or supervises. Piuze makes a number of fabulous wines, but of particular interest are the "Terroir" series wines, which seek to highlight the unique qualities of each of the main villages within the Chablis appellation. As far as I know, no one else is making wines like this. Piuze bottled some of his 2011s early. Those wines were left on their lees for their entire elevage. I tasted the rest of the 2011s from barrel, where they had never been racked. As for the 2010s, Piuze is one of the few producers who is quite frank in saying he is not a huge fan of the vintage. Accordingly, Piuze chose not to bottle magnums for any of his wines. Various American importers, including: David Bowler Wine, New York, NY; (212) 807-1680, Aliane Wines, La Jolla, CA; tel. (858) 361-4529
Rating: 90 –91
A Piuze 2012 Chablis La Foret emphasizes fresh lime and grapefruit laced with nettle and white pepper, another wine of its vintage apt to make your nose hairs as well as your palate stand to attention! Juicy and bracing, its salty streak leads to a finish of saliva-inducement and invigoration. I anticipate this performing well through at least 2018. Quebecer Patrick Piuze – a former cellarmaster for Brocard about whose inaugural 2008 vintage under his own name I enthused in issue 191 – has since then significantly expanded his range; further honed his already formidable skills; and acquired some superb new sources of fruit, making his one of the most exciting among France’s modern breed of micro-negociants not to mention among newcomers to Chablis during the past decade. Incidentally, like many of the aforementioned breed, Piuze sells his wines overwhelmingly (at last count, he says, 93%) abroad. He exercises considerable control over the viticultural regimen practiced by his dozen suppliers (three dominant) in the parcels for whose fruit he contracts, and continues to be a tireless experimenter and self-critic in matters of vinification. With 2011, he began utilizing a mechanical rather than bladder press for half of his wines, and in 2012 exclusively, citing his belief that this enhances dry extract and stability, though it requires much more time and someone standing by the press. Piuze adds that this approach also gains him some of the advantages in quality of juice associated with traditional Champagne presses, but that a vertical press such as used in that region is impractical for his large number of small lots and small team (with only two other full-time participants, his partner Sylvie Quittot and his father-in-law). Non-cru wines here are raised almost entirely in tank and crus in previously used barrel. “We picked beginning September 20 in 2012, and as fast as we could” Piuze notes, “because there was quite a lot of rain and it’s easier to pick with water on the grapes that I can dry-off than with water in the grapes.” Alcohols, unadjusted, registered from 11.8-12.3% (very close to the estate’s readings in 2011). “The point is not to pick early but ripe,” Piuze generalizes, “and to pick ripe but not overripe where you lose brightness and saliva inducement for the sake of fat.” Most of Piuze’s 2012s finished malo-lactic conversion by Christmas but alcoholic fermentation only in early spring. “I don’t do this on purpose, it just usually happens” he notes, adding “I don’t know why myself. But the levels of volatility come out all right, and anyway, I don’t like wines that have too little volatile acidity.” Despite what was already the certainty of a late 2013 harvest, Piuze planned to bottle his 2012 crus (excepting Les Clos) already in July, a testimony to economic considerations – “I’m already lucky enough (just) to be able to do what I do, that it’s not even a burden to bottle one stage earlier than I otherwise would” he notes with a grin – but also a policy that has stood his wines well in past vintages. So many sites I hadn’t anticipated were represented in the 2012 line-up that the time I had allotted for our tasting session did not permit opportunity to taste even one of Piuze’s 2011s (nor did my subsequent schedule), so I’ll plan to report next year on how at least some of his efforts from that vintage are faring. Imported by Aliane Wines, La Jolla, CA; tel. (858) 361-4529, David Bowler Wine, New York, NY; (212) 807-1680, and Martine’s Wines Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400
Rating: 89 –91
The 2013 Chablis 1er Cru Les Forets has a very fine minerality on the nose with granite and smoke aromas that are determined to make an impression. The palate is taut with fresh green apple, a touch of gooseberry and almond developing toward the finish that is cohesive and delineated. This should be divine once in bottle. Drink 2016-2025. Visiting Patrick Piuze for the first time at his winery in Chablis ville, not that far from Francois Raveneau, was something that I eagerly anticipated after the praise heaped upon him by David Schildknecht. Indeed, I found much to admire here: one of the region's most active and dynamic micro-negociants that debuted as recently as 2008. Quebec-born Piuze is a coiled-spring of energy and opinions, a principled winemaker who knows exactly what he would like to achieve without pushing too hard. I detected a burning streak of independence about the winemaker. Before tasting through his 2013s he told me about dropping out of college to pursue his passion for wine, backpacking around the world, before finally leaving Montreal for Burgundy in 2000 where he worked at Olivier Leflaive. One has the sense of someone searching for, and eventually finding, his calling. I can empathize with that. Leflaive's portfolio introduced him to Chablis and he was soon starting his tenure as cellar-master at Jean-Marc Brocard. But that independent mind-set continued to burn and perhaps inevitably, he assembled enough friends and contacts to supply him with quality fruit from the region's most desirable vineyards to form his own enterprise. He maintains that youthful rebellious nature; neatly circumventing the appellation-s rules about eschewing premier cru vineyard designations with his "Terroir de?" series that are all worth hunting down. "I pressed a little longer in 2013, since I did not want to risk breaking the cake," he told me as we settled into his underground cellar that stretches underneath the road via a tunnel. "I reverted back to my Vaslin press in 2012 vintage because we did not have enough dry extract in the wine. The 2012 growing season was as good as it gets. There was a slow maturation of berries that gave us very healthy grapes without much disease pressure. We began the harvest on September 20 under good conditions and the cold night preserved high acidity levels. In 2013, I harvested over 8 days instead of the usual 14, finishing on October 5. People probably think it was the rain that was the biggest risk during the harvest, but actually it was the high night temperatures that seemed to keep the rot going. And so, in my opinion, it was actually the Thursday that was the most damaging day. I have undertaken a shorter elevage in order to keep the freshness and the alcohol levels are very moderate, the highest alcohol coming in at 12.3 degrees." Imported by Aliane Wines, La Jolla, CA; tel. (858) 361-4529; David Bowler Wine, New York, NY; tel. (212) 807-1680; Martine-s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400
Rating: 92 –92
The more giving, fruit-forward 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Les Forêts offers a lovely contrast to the pronouncedly mineral Séchet. “It comes from the bottom of the valley, where the soils are deeper,” observes Piuze, and it’s evident in the glass, as the wine wafts with a deep bouquet of beeswax, peach skin and pear mingling with savory tones. Flamboyant, elegantly muscular and enveloping, it’s fleshy yet laden with lively acidity, concluding with a saline finish.
Rating: 94 –94
More clay. Quite an exposed site that gains concentration via the wind just before ripening. There’s a spicy, herbal and restrained waxy edge to the apples, melon and white pears. The palate’s succulent, long and majestic. Smooth, fine and rich. Some oak influence filling out the finish. Drink or hold.
Rating: 92 –92
There’s a crisp and attractive feel here with a very fresh, nectarine and apricot core and a smooth, vibrant and rather elegant feel. Savory finish. Drink or hold.