Country: | France |
Region: | Burgundy |
Winery: | Chavy-Chouet |
Grape Type: | Chardonnay |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Bavencoff Pernand Vergelesses Premier Cru Blanc is made from Chardonnay.
The wine offers a white gold or pale yellow color turning into darker gold with age. It boasts aromas of white flowers, (may, acacia) developing into notes of amber, honey and spices. On the palate it is mineral, harmonious and easy to like.
Aged in new oak barrels (Allier).
Sushi, fresh-water fish in white sauce, and for pasta or a seafood risotto.
Charles Smith K Vintners Powerline Estate Syrah is made from 100 percent Syrah.
Friendly, approachable and vivacious, yet also dark and mysterious. Black cherry, allspice, black ash, and orange blossom. Thyme and flint with ark fruit, cedar, kelp, black pepper, juniper, crushed rock, and tons of complex floral notes. Fear not, embrace it.
While just bottled a week before this tasting, the 2019 Syrah Powerline Vineyard certainly wasn't showing any worse for it, offering a stunning bouquet of ripe red and black fruits as well as white pepper, sandalwood, tobacco, and new leather. Pure, medium to full-bodied, and vibrant, with supple, polished tannins, this brilliant Syrah is going to keep for 10-12 years, if not longer.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
Chavy-Chouet Bourgogne Blanc Les Saussots is made from 100 percent Chardonnay. A medium yellow straw color in the glass. On the nose, you will find layers aromas of cured lemon and hints of coconut and mango. On the palate, the juice has clean flavor, fresh acidity, and excellent balance. Vanilla notes follow through to the slightly creamy finish.
The grapes from this wines are grown from the Meursault area. (either outside of the AOC limit or with younger vines).
Seafood, fish, salad or by itself as an aperitif.
Drink this one now or over the next 3 to 4 years.
This fine and sensual wine, with hints of blossom and roasted hazelnut, has a concentration that makes it discreet in its youth but powerful over time. Located right next to Puligny-Montrachet, the plot of Les Charmes was planted in 1943 on a sandy clay-limestone soil that produces small, concentrated berries for an intense wine that is perfect for ageing.
Chavy-Chouet Puligny-Montrachet Permier Cru Les Folatieres is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Les Folatières is located in the middle of a steep slope with poor soil where the bedrock can be seen peeking through.
The 50 year old vines benefit from the poor soil and good sun exposure. Les Folatières produces a rich, opulent and lively wine. It is charming when young with notes of yellow fruits and toasted bread, and over time becomes more airy and floral with great intensity.
Ageing in oak barrels for 12 months (20 % new).100% Chardonnay of 50 years of age.
The vineyard measures 0.3 hectare with a plenting density of 10,000 vines per hectare.
Review:
"The 2019 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er Cru has a strict, focused bouquet of crushed rock, touches of orange blossom and a light licorice aroma developing in the glass. This shows more complexity than the other Pulignys from the domaine. The palate is well balanced with a slightly reduced entry. Good weight and density, although it slams the door shut on the finish. Actually a little Meursault-like on the nutty aftertaste. - Neal Martin"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (December 2020), 92 pts
The Domaine Chavy-Chouet Estate
Romaric Chavy took over the estate in 2014, making him the eighth generation to make wine in his family. Romaric learned from his father, Hubert Chavy, who founded the winery. Chavy-Chouet is one of the oldest families in Puligny-Montrachet. The Ropiteau family (on his mother's side) is the oldest one in Meursault.
Hubert Chavy (known not only for his winemaking but also for his charisma) was able to train Romaric in for a few years before his passing in early 2014. Romaric has become a very smart vigneron with a great philosophy. Making wine has come naturally to him, as if often does in Burgundy when you are next in line.
After six years at a specialist winemaking school and with plenty of experience in winegrowing and vinification around the world under his belt, Romaric has given the estate a makeover, watching over his 15 hectares of vines with a rigorous eye. He is proud of his roots, and his approach combines rigor, tradition, and innovation.
A group from Kysela visits Chavy-Chouet in January each year, carrying on a tradition of tasting from barrels, then bottles, and then finishing with some mystery wines. The group has to guess the appellation and the vintage of wines being poured from magnums...a tough job, but somebody has to do it.
This is a 15 hectare-domaine (37 acres) that produces wine from 14 A.O.C.'s (80% White, 20% Red). The vineyard is divided into 70 parcels planted to vines that are 40 years old or more. He uses Gillet as his cooper, who blends oak from Nevers, Limousin and Allier forests. The barrels receive medium toast. Romaric, just as his father, Hubert, does not fine or filter his wines, as he prefers their purity to shine through.
The winery covers 1,300 square meters, including 800 square meters of cellars, and is a mix of ancient and ultra-modern. The set-up allows him to work hand-in-hand with nature in a well-managed yet pleasant environment, and to meet his very high demands in terms of quality. The wines are put into barrels using gravity, intervention is kept to a minimum, and an irreproachable attitude to cleanliness also symbolize his quest for excellence in the shape of pure and balanced wines that burst with energy.
A corked bottle of 1983 Pichon-Lalande led to my inaugural visit to this Meursault domaine. My precious Pauillac corked, I ordered a bottle of 2015 Bourgogne Les Femelottes from Chavy-Chouet at Brat restaurant in London. It was so damn delicious that I ordered another and emailed winemaker Romaric Chavy that I must visit pronto.
Arriving at the gates, I noticed that there was no doorbell or knocker. When I was noticed loitering outside, the gates finally opened and Romaric Chavy informed me that they do without a doorbell because they have so many visitors. Chavy is a young and confident guy, very media-savvy, which is uncommon in Burgundy. He worked abroad in various countries including South Africa and Greece before taking over Chavy-Chouet at the age of just 22. Before tasting through the 2017s, which had all been bottled, I asked about the background of the domaine.
“The holdings come from two sides of my grandfather’s family. Chavy comes from Puligny-Montrachet, and his wife was part of the Ropiteau family in Meursault. Back then, he sold the wines to Bouchard Père. It was my own father, Hubert, who started bottling his own wine when he married his wife from Pommard and bought this house in Meursault. I started at the domaine in 2006 when we were still selling off grapes. I already had a good network [of potential clients] and so we started to bottle everything and develop exports. My father passed away in 2014. Now we have 15 hectares, mostly old vines located in five villages, producing around 90,000 bottles, of which around 90% is exported. We have three or four people working full-time and we work in a classical way - lutte raisonée and ploughing in the vineyard. This year we approached half the vineyard organically, but when the pressure became too high, we switched back and used spray. We press the fruit for two hours, with a 24-hour debourbage, and then ferment in barrel using natural yeast, a maximum of 20% new oak for between 9 and 12 months, with no lees stirring and a light filtration before bottling. We try to keep as much natural CO2 as possible.”
It is always a pleasure to discover a producer who has skimmed under your Burgundy radar for some time. Chavy-Chouet has built a loyal following here in the UK and I can understand why. These wines are very pure, terroir-driven and focused. Yet they are not challenging or pretentious and give much sensory pleasure. As I mentioned, you can splash the cash on a Premier Cru white if you wish, but do not ignore the 2017 Bourgogne Blanc Les Femelottes. It is unequivocally Village Cru in quality – no real surprise given that its vines are adjacent to Puligny-Village. The 2017 Meursault Charmes is an absolute knockout, whilst the monopole Clos des Corvées de Citeau is superb. This is an address I will definitely return to in the future, though I have made a mental note to phone ahead, so that I can actually get in. - Neal Martin"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (2017 Burgundy: A Modern Classic, January 2019)
My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 7% Malbec, 2% Petit Sirah, 1% Syrah
A homage to Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure Winery became an obsession. Sourced from exceptional vineyard sites around Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo and south to Edna Valley, this wine is cultivated meticulously by the farmers who have become My Favorite Neighbors. With their dedication to the land, we are able to craft a world class wine without any shortcuts or compromises. Welcome to our Neighborhood. 2020 abundant winter rain and a long, moderate growing season allowed for extended hang times and exceptional fruit quality.
The 2021 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon fills the glass with a seamless culmination of black cherry, cassis and warm spice. On the palate, you are rewarded with a full body displaying blackberry and plum with underlying notes of tobacco. An additional layer of red fruit and a pop of acid, combined with well- integrated tannins and a beautifully crafted structure, leave nothing to be desired. This is a serious wine that can be enjoyed and respected by all.
Review:
Dark berries, cedar, walnuts, sweet spices and pencil shavings on the nose. Full-bodied and so polished and linear, with a chalky texture to the tannins. Wide and layered. Beautiful fruit. Lingering and refined.
-James Suckling 94 Points
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is smoking good, with a full-bodied, rich, opulent wine that has classic cassis and darker blue fruits as well as leafy tobacco, baking spice, and bouquet garni notes. This textured, ripe, sexy wine stays nicely balanced, has ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's another awesome value.
- Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
The Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a combination of Kistler's single vineyards, the exact proportions of which are an elusive bit of information to find, but we do know the proportions come from the four coastal vineyards: Laguna Ridge (formerly known as Kistler Vineyard), Silver Belt (bottled individually as Cuvée Natalie), Occidental Station (bottled individually as Cuvée Catherine), and Bodega Headlands (and potentially some fruit from Running Fence). Just like its big brothers, the Sonoma Coast designate is fermented in small open top fermenters and the free run juice is barrel aged and remains in barrel for fourteen to eighteen months until bottling.
Review:
Aromatically, Marjorie is a big bowl of blueberries with a cherry cupcake on the side. Tart red cherry and lemon verbena tea flavors are punctuated by notes of dark chocolate and candied rose petals. Brilliant acidity and fine-grained tannins make this wine “pop.”
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points