Michelet Courtault Chablis 2015

Michelet Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy is made from 100 percent Chardonnay. 

The nose offers rich and intense aromas of rose petals and litchi. The wine is well-structured and generous in the mouth with subtle notes of dried fruits and honey. A long mineral finish.

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.

A great match with fine fish in creamy sauce or white meat stuffed with mushrooms. The complex and subtle aromas make this wine and ideal accompaniment to delicate and refined seafood dishes - lobsters and crayfish. Let it age a little and its richness will be appreciated with foie gras.

Review:

"The nose of this wine is shy and does not give too much away. The plate comes in with uncommon juiciness that focuses on fruit. Think pear flesh with some white citrus pith. Mouthwatering saltiness helps the mild freshness along and creates a balanced, dry finish. - ANNE KREBIEHL MW"
- Wine Enthusiast (April 2020), 92 pts

Light and clear in color. Sharp nose (lemon, green apple), fresh and mineral (flint). There is freshness in the mouth with good acidity, aromas of lime and the typical minerality on the finish, which Chablis is renowned for!

GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATION: 

Located in northern Burgundy near Auxerre, the Chablis vineyards are alongside a small river aptly named: the Serein ("Serene").

SOIL TYPE:
The Chablis region is a limestone plateau cut by valleys. The Premier Crus lie on a stratum dating from the Kimmeridgian (155 millions years BC) with alternating marl and limestone and tiny deposits of oysters in the rock, reminiscent of the warm and shallow sea which then covered Burgundy.

VINEYARD:
Exclusively white wine production. Average age of vines: 20 years. The vines are worked using integrated viticulture. Plantations: 10,000 feet / hectare - Yield: 60 hectoliters / hectare.

VINIFICATION:
Traditional vinification. The grapes are pressed on arrival at the winery using pneumatic presses. The fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks thermoregulated at 16°C.

Perfect with hot oysters or fish in sauce, but also with white meats in sauce (veal, poultry). Sushi pairs perfectly with its minerality. Goat cheese, Blue cheese and Comté cheese.

"La Brulade" is the name of a select slope located at an altitude of 400 meters overlooking the Mediterranean sea between La Baie d'Amour (the town of La Ciotat) in the South and La Sainte Baume in the North. This is one of the highest parcels in the Bandol appellation.
The wine is only produced in exceptional vintages. This carefully selected blend is made of 95% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache, aged in large French oak barrels for 24 months.
The wine shows a deep purple color. It is fresh and fruity on the nose with intense garrigue aromas. Structured, elegant and well-balanced on the palate with strong tannins. Licorice, ripe black fruits, garrigue flavors and some peppery freshness on the finish.

The 35-year old grapes are grown on clay and limestone soils and are farmed organically. Yield is very low - 15hl/ha. The grapes are harvested manually.
Winemaking: Double selection, destemming, crushing before skin contact fermentation. No filtration. Aging for 24 months in French oak casks (600L).

Grilled meat (lamb, beef, boar), Mediterranean cuisine, spicy dishes.

Review:

This single-vineyard wine comes from a parcel that sits at 1,300 feet facing the Mediterranean sea. Its dark color, fabulous ripe fruits and perfumed character give it both richness and longevity. With 95% Mourvèdre, it has all the structure, dark tannins and spice of this grape that is at its best in this appellation. Drink this wine from 2023.

-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points Cellar Selection

The flagship 2015 Bandol Brulade is a powerful, serious Bandol that knocks it out of the park with its monster nose of dark fruits, cured meats, sandalwood, olive tapenade, and leathery characteristics. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and pure, with plenty of sexy fruit, it’s a terrific, serious Bandol that needs another 2-3 years of bottle age and will keep for 15-20."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 27th 2019), 94 pts

Decanter 95 Points

Blending Detail:

• 49 % Grenache
• 20% Syrah
• 16% Cinsault
• 9% Mourvêdre
• 6% Counoise

Grenache speaks loudly in the Bésoleil with notes of pomegranate, red raspberry, and strawberry leaf. The Counoise and Cinsualt bring bing cherry fruit and blueberry notes to the table, complicated by pepper and garrique. Mourvedre donates a wild meatiness to the blend, and a purple hue. Syrah rounds things out, adding texture, and flesh to the palate.

Review:

The first vintage where they’ve pushed the bottling back to give the cuvee 16-18 months in barrel, the 2015 Besoleil is a dead ringer for a high-quality Chateauneuf du Pape and offers perfumed notes of herbes de Provence, kirsch, licorice and sweet spice. It’s medium to full-bodied, textured and fruit-forward, with a hedonistic yet elegant profile that’s going to evolve gracefully. 
Robert Parker 91-93 Points

Betz Family Clos de Betz is 67 % Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot

Review:

"Possessing even more Merlot than the 2014, the 2015 Clos de Betz is 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot brought up in a mix of barrels. Its chocolatey plum, tobacco leaf, licorice and damp earth aromatics give way to a medium to full-bodied, polished, pretty style on the palate that shines for its elegance and freshness. - Jeb Dunnuck"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #231, June 2017), 92-94 pts

55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec.

The color is deep dark ruby. limpid and brilliant. The nose is intense and complex with hints of blackberries, sweet spicies, noble plain chocolate and Vanilla. The palate is full bodied, very long with well integrated tannins. The finish is very fresh and luscious with toasted notes in the background.

Average age of the vines is 30 years.
Manual harvest from September 21th to October 7th 2015.
Upon arrival at the winery, only the best grapes were selected using a sorting table.
Skin contact maceration during 2 weeks in temperature controlled vats.
Aged 12 months in Oak barrels. (1/3 new oak, 1/3 1 year old and 1/3 two year old barrels). They use 60% French Oak and 40% American Oak.

Served with red meat (beef filet, sirloin),  pork tenderloin, roasted duck breast with honey&orange sauce, roasted lamb with thyme, poultry and fine cheese.

Review:

"Based on 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Malbec, the 2015 Chateau Brule Secaille Grande Reserve Cotes de Bourg spent a year in 40% American oak, with one-third being new. Black fruits, spicy oak, underbrush, and cedar notes all emerge from this medium-bodied, nicely textured, balanced 2015 that has solid mid-palate depth and ample fruit. It’s a fleshy, charming effort that has loads of character."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 27th 2019), 90 pts