Critic ratings
vinous
2013
Rating:
97
–97
The 2013 Brut Cuvée Spéciale Les Chétillons is outrageously beautiful. I remember tasting it as vin clair in March, 2014. Today, as a finished Champagne from bottle, the 2013 captures all of the intense ripeness and bright acidity that make this vintage so exceptional. A wine of cut and brilliance, the 2013 will thrill readers who enjoy Blanc de Blancs. Citrus, marzipan, slate, crushed rocks and floral notes pulse with tremendous energy. Readers will have to be patient with the 2013. It is a total knock-out. Wow! Dosage is 3.5-4.5 grams per liter. Disgorged: April, 2020.
vinous
2015
Rating:
92
–92
The 2015 Brut Cuvée Spéciale Les Chétillons is linear, tight and unyielding. There is plenty of energy, but not quite the depth of the best editions. The Chétillons has a track record of aging beautifully, but it is also usually much more expressive in the early going. I can't say I am surprised, as 2015 was not a strong vintage here.
vinous
2008
Rating:
95
–95
The 2008 Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Speciale is a blend of fruit from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Avize and Cramant. Deep, resonant and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2008 is super-impressive. I especially admire the way the wine fleshes out with a bit of air. Citrus, sage, menthol and dried flowers add nuance to what is a very powerful wine. The 2008 saw full malolactic fermentation, with some bâtonnage for added texture. This is a superb showing from the Rothschild family.
vinous
2008
Rating:
95
–95
The 2008 Les Chétillons seems to slowly be coming out of a period during which is has not been very expressive at all. In the last few months however, the 2008 is showing like it did about two years ago, when it positively sizzled with vintage 2008 cut and tension. Citrus, floral and mineral-drenched notes abound in this captivating Champagne endowed with real Mesnil character.
vinous
2008
Rating:
94
–94
The just-released 2008 Les Chétillons is finally beginning to show something after a long period of being incredibly shut down. Bright and beautifully focused, the 2008 offers up a compelling interplay of candied lemon, mint, wild flowers and sage. The 2008 has softened up considerably over the last year to the point it drinks well right now. Given how accessible the 2008 is, I don't see it as being an especially long-lived Champagne given the reputation of the vintage. Disgorged November 2015. Dosage is 4.7 grams per liter.
vinous
2008
Rating:
95
–95
The 2008 Cuvée Spéciale Les Chétillons is a real treat to taste. It is also painfully young and in need of more time in bottle. An exotic bouquet of Mirabelle plum, Poire William, white pepper, hard candy and lemon peel suggest a Champagne of incredible delicacy, finesse and pure power. Beguiling and incredibly nuanced, the 2008 appears to have a bright future. When it will be ready to drink is another question. Disgorged December 2014. Dosage was 5.3 grams/liter.
vinous
2010
Rating:
93
–93
The 2010 Brut Cuvée Spéciale Les Chétillons is quite open and accessible, with lovely balance and tons of class. I would prefer to drink it sooner rather than later, as the flavors are starting to turn towards the more mature end of the spectrum and the wine is showing the first signs of aromatic and flavor development. Dried pear, smoke, dried flowers, mint, candied lemon peel linger on the close. Disgorged April 2017. Dosage is 4.2 grams per liter.
vinous
2010
Rating:
93
–93
Péters’ 2010 Brut Cuvée Spéciale Les Chétillons looks to be a relatively easygoing, approachable version of this reference-point Mesnil Champagne. There is good depth and purity to the flavors, but the 2010 is decidedly delicate and airy in the glass, with mid-weight structure and more openness than is typically the case. Scents of yellow orchard fruit, honey, chamomile and white flowers open up nicely. I don’t find the dimension or energy of the finest years. In exchange, though, the 2010 should drink well with minimal cellaring.
vinous
2014
Rating:
97
–97
The 2014 Cuvée Spéciale Les Chétillons is fabulous. The 2014 is not as obvious as years like 2012 or 2013, but it presents a youthfully austere, classic personality that is absolutely beguiling. Readers will have to be patient here. There is certainly a lot to look forward to. The 2014 Les Chétillons is a Blanc de Blancs that sizzles with Mesnil tension and energy. Dosage is 3.5-4.5 grams per liter. Disgorged: May, 2021.
robert_parker
2005
Rating:
91
–91
Peters' 2005 Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvee Speciale Les Chetillons - based on parcels of old selection massale vines in a single lieu-dit - reflects a vintage that, as he puts it, "was on the limit of burnt (brulee) fruit." The nose here strikingly suggests sauteed mushrooms on toast, along with hints of citrus oils, Latakia tobacco, smoky black tea, and the salinity that happily, mouthwateringly infiltrates the palate. Nutty piquancy adds to the savor of a sustained and intriguingly fungal, smoky and toasty finish. I would be inclined to enjoy this over the coming year or two. It should reveal fascinating potential at table.
Rodolphe Peters - who was just finishing an impressive cellar expansion when I visited him this June - has perpetuated a tradition at his family's house of letting all of their wines go through malo-lactic transformation, and they thus offer an especially vivid reminder that - regardless of what one hears from many a well-intentioned grower, not to mention wine critic - this transformation is entirely compatible with consistently achieving wines of vivid relief, refreshing acidity, and utmost clarity. (Not that anyone should really need reminding of this given the example of White Burgundy, and in particular of Chablis.) Interestingly, though, Peters has run a few recent experiments with very small non-malo lots. And speaking of what for him is also an experiment, there are now three Stockinger foudres in his cellar, informing a new "Oubliee" cuvee reviewed as part of this report. He associates quite specific characteristics with Chardonnay from each of the grand cru-rated villages whose vineyards he farms - Le Mesnil; Oger; Avize; and Cramant - and deploys them in blends, from 30-40 annual lots, with these traits in mind, not to mention with masterful results. (All but nine of his 47 acres are in the aforementioned communes: two are in Vertus; five in the Sezanne and two more represent un-utilized Pinot. I'll report in further detail next year on what Peters has to say about village terroirs as reflected in wine.) Especially in ripe vintages, Peters explains, "I'd rather harvest a bit larger crop and then be more selective of juice" retained from the press. One upshot of this approach is sometimes, with seeming paradox, to achieve slightly less natural alcohol in warmer and more obviously ripe years. In 2010, for example, Peters let fruit hang longer and ended up with higher must weight than in 2009, the sort of year in which he felt it important not to accentuate through higher alcohol the already ripe nature of the fruit. "It's important," he emphasizes, "to retain in the wine not just acidity and minerality, but also bitter elements of the right sort, in order to supply structure and balance the fruit." The non-vintage bottlings here always incorporate a significant measure - up to 40% - of reserve wine that has been accumulating for decades by holding back a portion of each year-s blend and adding it to a solera.
Importers: Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300