2014 Chablis Montee de Tonnerre

Tasted blind at the Burgfest annual tasting, Jean Paul Droin's 2014 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre, bottled using DIAM 10, was showing some oak on the nose that occluded the terroir expression vis-à-vis some of the best examples from this vineyard. The palate is balanced and fortunately here the wood component is less pronounced, allowing the citrus peel and Granny Smith flavors to flourish. This segues into a satisfying and quite intense, saline finish. Give this a couple of years for the nose to absorb the oak because there is an extremely well-crafted wine here.

(bottled in early September of 2015; all of the 2014s were bottled before the 2015 harvest): Very backward nose hints at saline oyster shell minerality, flint, yeast and toast, complicated by a balsamic quality. Extremely dry, saline and uncompromising; by a wide margin the most difficult to taste today among Droin's premier crus. Finishes salty and brisk, with its fruit in the deep background. This will need patience.