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Description
Tasting notes

Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2016 Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot wasn't frosted, and it's one of the highlights of the range chez Raveneau this year, wafting from the glass with a lovely bouquet of white flowers, Meyer lemon, honeycomb and crisp pear. On the palate, it's full-bodied, satiny and concentrated, with a deep core, juicy acids and a long, beautifully delineated finish. It's a superb Blanchot that will develop gracefully for two decades or more.
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.