2009 Chablis

The 2009 Chablis was bottled just a few months ago. It needs quite a bit of air for the aromas to find their focus and for the angular contours to soften. With time in the glass, the wine shows good up-front richness and an immediate, attractive personality. Ripe peaches wrap around the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016. Didier Picq’s vineyards are all located in the Chichee, which is just a few kilometers outside Chablis. Picq is among the growers who use stainless steel exclusively. The wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts, which is not as common in Chablis as it is in other parts of Burgundy. The wines undergo full malolactic fermentation and are bottled on the late side. The house style is one that emphasizes a bold, direct expression of fruit with tonalities that tend towards peach and apricot rather than the brighter, citrus-infused end of the spectrum. The wines can be enjoyed pretty much upon release. I tasted all of the 2010s from tank and the 2009s from bottle. As is the case throughout Chablis, the 2009s here are rich and low in acidity (in relative terms) while the 2010s are decidedly cooler and focused. Picq plans to bottle his 2010s in January/February 2012. Importer: Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404

(from the last bottling of this cuvee , done in February of this year): Pale yellow. Oyster shell, menthol, mint and a whiff of flowers on the nose. Dense on the palate, with pear and peach fruit flavors complicated by anise and a hint of honey. Shapely, balanced village wine, but a bit youthfully aggressive.

Very slightly filter pad on the nose and without great depth but competent. Bit soft. (JR)