Wine Advisor
Raveneau, Chablis 1er Cru Montmains 2017
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2017 Chablis Monts-Mains 1er Cru is bright, punchy and alluring. Citrus peel, white flowers, mint and white peach notes are bursting with saline tension and intensity in a very pretty, gracious wine that is among the more airy, lifted wines in this range. The Monts-Mains is not as obvious as some of the other 2017s here. Instead, it is a wine that really draws the taster in with its vivid, sensual personality.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru is quite backward on the nose from barrel, demanding more coaxing from the glass than other Premier Crus, almost reluctantly offering resinous scents tinged with pralines. The palate is taut and fresh with a fine line of acidity, quite brittle in texture towards the saline finish. It will require two or three years in bottle but I think it will ultimately surpass the 2016...by a whisker.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
A single plot at the higher reaches of the slope. It has a strong core of white peaches and lemons with a very intense, long, fresh and assertive palate. Green mangoes, white peaches and lemon. Elegant, smooth and long. Super fresh. Drink or hold.
About the Producer
Domaine Raveneau is Chablis's finest producer. Jean Raveneau has 7 hectares of vines and produces beautifully crafted wines from three Grands Crus (Blanchot, les Clos and Valmur and four Premiers Crus (Montée de Tonnerres, les Vaillons, Butteaux and Chapelot) All the grapes are hand harvested (one of the very few remaining growers in Chablis to do so) and Jean Marie prefers to pick early rather than late, with the aim of preserving the grapes' acidities. The grapes are fermented in stainless steel vats and the wine are then aged in large oak feuilletes (the barrels have an average age of 7-8 years) for 18 months. Very low yields allied to meticulous wine making techniques are what make these wines so highly prized. They are renowned for their pure, racy minerality and rich, honeyed fruit, as well as for their ageworthiness - it would be a pity not to let them have the five to ten years in the cellar that they need to reach their sublime best.
