2007 Chablis Reserve de l'Obedience

From selected parcels or lots of Blanchot and three-quarters raised in barriques of various ages, the 2007 Chablis Reserve de l-Obedience smells of lime, lanolin, and peach. Quite plush and silken on the palate, yet with plenty of primary juiciness and its toasty, nutty undertones well-integrated, this finishes with fine length and richness, if not much of what one could call mineral intrigue of Chablis typicity. I wonder how this will age, but would be inclined not to make plans for it past 6-8 years. The 2006 was very awkwardly marked by the barrel at a comparable stage, and even now is a bit warm and stewed when tasted alongside the 2007. Winemaker Denis de la Bourdonnaye seems bullish on his 2007s and their aging potential, despite emphasizing what he felt was the need to extensively work what lees he retained, and to bottle correspondingly later to avoid too-lean an impression. Having said that, de la Bourdonnaye then goes on to observe that he thinks the use of screw-cap closures - to which this estate was among the first in France to commit - is especially well-suited to the personality of the vintage, and to -the preservation of precision and minerality during long aging.- The majority of the 2007 wines here came in at little more than 12% potential alcohol, he relates, and chaptalization was negligible. It was announced in late September that Languedoc negociant Jeanjean had acquired Laroche, although early indications pointed toward continuity in the Chablis estate, with Michel Laroche remaining as director. Importer: Remy-Cointreau USA, New York, NY; tel. (212) 424-2244