2016 Chablis Blanchots

(these vines are planted north-south but are protected by the hill of Montée de Tonnerre from morning sun): Medium yellow; darker than Montée de Tonnerre. Aromas of underripe pineapple and white flowers. Rich and substantial but in a distinctly gentle style; conveys an impression of modest ripeness for the vintage. Piuze noted that he lost grapes at the top of the hill to hail and a difficult flowering, so this wine is made mostly from the bottom of the slope. Finishes with a peppery quality and a touch of dryness. This fruit was harvested at 11.3% potential alcohol and chaptalized to 12.2%.

The 2016 Chablis Grand Cru Blanchots has a fragrant bouquet with lemon curd, white flowers and a touch of nectarine, the mineralité tucked just behind. The palate is well balanced with a fine line of acidity and is quite tensile in the mouth with a brisk, saline, quite linear finish that will take three or four years to really open. Patrick opined that his Blanchots is a mix of the 2014 and 2015 vintages in style, which is not such a bad thing, and I agree.