2004 Chablis Vaillons

I flipped for the 2004 Chablis Vaillons (domaine), a lively mineral and fresh herb-scented wine. It bursts on the palate with loads of salty minerals, sap-laced stones, and pears. Big, fat, rich, and pure, this beauty’s flavors linger in its immensely long finish. Incidentally, Seguier explained that Vaillons is always a precocious vineyard, which played right into 2004's characteristics. Drink it over the next 6-7 years. Note: All the William Fevre wines tasted for this report are “domaine” bottlings, from the estate’s 40 hectares of vines (98.84 acres), which is clearly marked on the label. There are also Maison William Fevre – negociant – bottlings, none of which were tasted. The rapidity with which Joseph Henriot turned around this once moribund estate is remarkable. Under the supervision and winemaking of super-talented Didier Seguier (from Cucq-Les-Vielmur in France’s southwest, near Castres), Domaine William Fevre has been catapulted into the top echelon of Chablis’s producers (and if you don’t believe me, just ask Vincent Dauvissat or Bernard Raveneau). Didier Seguier attributes the estate’s success in 2004 to two key factors, “the fact that we treated the vines early and therefore did not have oidium problems,” and, just as importantly, “our yields were lower than most because this estate’s vines are over 40 years old and cannot produce plethoric quantities.” On average, across the entire estate, William Fevre harvested 60-65 hectoliters per hectares, 10-15% less than two of this region’s most famous stars, Vincent Dauvissat and the Raveneau brothers. Though Seguier loves his 2004s (“They are precise, classical Chablis.”), his preference is for the 2002s, “the finest vintage I’ve experienced.” Importer: Henriot, Inc., New York, NY; tel. (212) 605-6700

Lively. Green fruits. Pointed and very fine. Tense and invigorating. Great stuff! Long. (JR)

(domain) Pale, green-edged yellow. Ripe aromas of pineapple and smoke. Densely packed, round, ripe and sweet, withflavors of pineapple and spices. Finishes fat, spicy and long.