Wine Advisor
Raveneau, Chablis Grand Cru Blanchots 1997
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The structured, firm, and masculine 1997 Chablis Blanchots displays a nose of minerals intermingled with lemon zests. Its medium-bodied character is tightly wound, well-proportioned, and exhibits flavors reminiscent of rock dust, flint, and sun-baked stones. This Blanchots is fresh, lively, persistent, and crystalline. Drink it between 2000 and 2007. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel (510) 524-1524.
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.
1994(1)
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