Country: | France |
Region: | Burgundy |
Winery: | Courtault-Michelet |
Grape Type: | Chardonnay |
Organic: | Yes |
Vintage: | 2015 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Chablis achieves its highly distinctive mineral character due to its cool northerly climate and its highly calcareous soil. The Domaine Louis Moreau Chablis Valmur Grand Cru is robust and powerful, vinified in the style of Côte de Beaune with some oak aging.
Review:
"A combination of fruit from the two sides of the Valmur valley, there is a lot of wine in this wine. It is engaging, sophisticated and has good heft with equally solid refreshment. Tasting of nectarines and pear core with a touch of earthiness, there's a gentle, dry tug on the lingering finish. This will certainly compensate the patient wine lover."
-Tim Atkins 95 Points
Michelet Petit Chablis is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Golden color. White flowers, fresh, lime and citrus aromas. Pleasant mouthfeel, supple, crisp, fruity flavors.
Machine harvested at full maturity (around Sep. 25th - lasts 12-18 days); pneumatic press; fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for 8-10 days; M.L (2 months after the harvest); aging on the lees until February; racking; fining if necessary; cold stabilization; filtration right before bottling in April.
Ideal as an aperitif, the wine is an excellent companion to seafood.
Roland Champion Champagne Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Vintage Brut Grand Eclat is 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay from the chalky soils of Chouilly.
This Champagne is full of elegance and finesse. Very complex nose, with a bouquet of aromas dominated by honey, brioche and notes of dried fruits, hazelnuts and sweets. Perfectly matured.
Michelet Courtaullt Chablis AOC is made from 100% Chardonnay.
Golden colored and very aromatic with white flowers, fresh fruit, lime, citrus aromas as well as a bergamot. Pleasant mouthfeel, supple, crisp, fruity flavors. There is a touch of acidity, revealing a deliciously integrated minerality.This Chablis is produced from vineyards located on slopes benefiting from a mainly south, southwest sun exposure in villages of the Northwestern part of the Chablis area (Lignorelles, Beine, Villy and Chablis).
Ideal as an aperitif, the wine is an excellent companion to seafood, smoked salmon for example.
Chateau Batailley Grand Cru is made from 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot & 1% Cabernet Franc.
Château Batailley is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced at the estate was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus (Fifth Growths) in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.
Garnet-purple colour. Rich and expressive nose, fruity with notes of spices, smoke and vanilla. On the palate, this wine is supple, round, well balanced, with good acidity, a nice fruitiness and nice notes of leather and cedar. Long elegant finish.
Review:
The 2010 Batailley repeated its magnificent showing when poured at the chateau. It has a detailed bouquet of blackberry and cedar, quite backward and seemingly having advanced lite since | tasted in in April 2016. The palate remains full of tension and brimming with energy, delivering classic cedar and tobacco notes toward the persistent finish. Batailley can produce wines that live many decades, and this is clearly one of them. Tasted at the property. Drink 2020-2050
- Neal Martin Vinous 95 Points
Chateau Franc Lartigue Saint-Emilion Grand Cru is made from Merlot 70%, Cabernet franc 15%, Cabernet sauvignon 15%
Eight hectare property in the town of Saint-Emilion. Elegant and structured wine, keep for 10 to 15 years depending on the vintage.
Review:
Vines with an average age of 35 years have produced a concentrated wine. It is rich and full, while also having restraint and elegance. That makes for a fine balancing act of generous tannins and opulent black fruits. Drink the wine from 2021
- Wine Enthusiast 92 Points
Golden color. Very aromatic. White flowers, fresh fruit, lime, citrus aromas as well as a bergamot. Pleasant mouthfeel, supple, crisp, fruity flavors. There is a touch of acidity, revealing a deliciously integrated minerality.
Machine harvested at full maturity (around Sept. 25th - lasts 12-18 days); pneumatic press; fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for 8-10 days; M.L (2 months after the harvest); aging on the lees until May (3 month extra compared to the Petit Chablis); racking; fining if necessary; cold stabilization; filtration right before bottling in July.
Ideal as an aperitif, the wine is an excellent companion to seafood, smoked salmon for example.
Domaine Courtault-Michelet Estate
This is a new Estate, founded by Stephanie Courtault and her husband Vincent Michelet.
Stephany is the daughter of Jean Claude Courtault, who runs a family winery founded in 1984. Jean Claude arrived in Lignorelles in 1974 to work as a vineyard manager for one of the village's wine estates. In 1984, JC Courtault purchased 1.5 hectare of 4 year old vines in the Chablis area. Then, he rented a piece of land in the Chablis appellation area that he planted with the help of his wife, Marie-Chantal. This dynamic estate aims to fuse tradition with modernity.
Date Founded: 1984
A native of Touraine, Jean-Claude Courtault arrived at Lignorelles in 1974 to work as Vineyard Manager for one of the village's wine estates.
In 1984, JC Courtault seized the chance to buy 1.5 hectares of 4 year old vines in the Chablis area. Next, he rented a plot of land in the Chablis appellation area, which he then planted up with the help of his wife, Marie-Chantal. And so the Estate Jean-Claude Courtault came into being.
JC Courtault enlarged and worked his vineyard over time, whilst still fulfilling his duties as Vineyard Manager. He began producing wine, and in 1987, the process of bottling and marketing started. That year's wine was rewarded with a gold medal at the "Concours Général des Vins de Paris" competition. This medal was just the first of many awards and prizes that have punctuated JC Courtault's career, a mark of the quality and consistency of his wines.
The 1994 edition of the Guide Hachette gave something of a commercial boost to the Estate Jean-Claude Courtault, after it awarded the 1992 Chablis a favourite buy distinction.
In 1995, with the estate boasting a dozen hectares of Chablis and Petit Chablis, Jean-Claude Courtault decided to devote himself to wine-growing on a full-time basis. He built a wine storehouse that included all the features necessary for optimal operating efficiency.
The estate has continued to develop its vineyard and now boasts a total of 17.60 hectares in production. This development drive is due to continue, with the arrival of Stéphanie, daughter of JC and MC Courtault, and her husband, Vincent Michelet. From now on it will be up to them to take up the challenge of producing Chablis wines.
The estate produces three of the four appellations found in the Chablis wine-growing region : Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru and Chablis Grand Cru Valmur
Some 50,000 bottles are sold in France and abroad.
Domaine Courtault-Michelet Vineyards
The wines of the Estate Jean-Claude Courtault are particularly renowned for their strong fruit character, the wine-grower's signature, if you like. These wines are regularly singled out for their quality, as can be seen in the Guide Hachette and various competitions - concours de Paris, Mâcon, Vignerons Indépendants. The Estate Jean-Claude Courtault sells and produces wines that have come from the estate's own vines.
The estate's vines are planted in accordance with the tradition of the Lignorelles area, in other words, every 5 rows, sufficient space is left for a tractor to pass. Planting density is on average around 6000 to 7000 vines per hectare, roughly equivalent to the mean for the Chablis wine-growing region.
This vineyard is sited on relatively hilly ground. Some plots have required considerable work on them before planting, with gradients of up to 1 in 2.5 (40%) possible. The oldest plots have 35 year-old vines.
Grape Harvest generally begins at the end of September and lasts between 12 to 18 days, depending on the year. Our main aim is to harvest the grapes at their optimal ripeness. This allows us to obtain a higher sugar content in the grapes whilst still maintaining pH and acidity at the levels needed to make a well-balanced wine.
Cazaux Vacqueyras Blanc Vieilles Vignes 50% Clairette, 30% Roussanne and 20% Viognier
The wine has a beautiful golden color.
The aromas are rich and
exotic with mango, almonds, toast, lemon, pineapple white flowers and
papaye. These aromas will develop to honey, butter and pear after ageing
for a few years.
The finish is long, citrusy and toasty.
Terroir: Slopes of sandy soil or grey limestone.
Yield: 25 -30 hl/ha
Age of the vines: 70 years old minimum. The oldest are around 90 years old.
The
grapes are pressed pneumatically after a few hours contact with the
skins.The must is kept at 20°c during the alcoholic fermentation to
optimise the aromas and respect the wine’s suppleness.
Barrel fermented an aged in 228-liter French Oak barrel for 12 months with regular stirrings of the lees.
MaloLactic Fermentation also in barrel.
Enjoy this wine with rich dish, river fish or poultry cooking in creamy sauce. Delicious with a mushroom risotto.
Review:
"Food-friendly, poised, barrel aged white Rhône produced with fruit from 60-year-old Clairette vines with some Roussanne and Viognier adding further breadth and body. The incredible concentration of the quince, pear and lemon curd flavours is underpinned by toasted almonds and honey-glazed apple wedges. A smokey, savoury nuance to the long finish. - Ines SALPICO"
Decanter (July 11th 2022), 92 pts
Demoiselles Sancerre Blanc is made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.
The name "Les demoiselles" (translate as "The young ladies"), refers to the beautiful migratory birds (Cranes) that fly over the town of Sancerre twice a year (in the Fall going South to spend the winter in the African continent, and in the Spring going back North to spend the Summer in Northern Europe). These graceful birds offer a unique and impressive show when they sometimes land on the banks of the Loire River. The Fleuriet family wanted to highlight this exceptional grace and express an elegant and refined bouquet in this Sancerre Demoiselles cuvée.
The wine shows a bright yellow color with green highlights, a fruity nose with aromas of white flowers and acacia. Light-medium bodied in the mouth, supple and well structured, its concentration and crisp acidity make it a harmonious and food-friendly wine.
Pairs nicely with fresh goat cheeses, oysters with lemon, grilled lemon chicken breasts and Mexican dishes. Serve these whites at 46 °F (8 °C).