2006 Chablis La Forest

The Raveneau 2006 Chablis La Foret – from young vines – possesses deep cherry and succulent peach fruit, wafting floral perfume and a lovely counterpoint between refreshing pink grapefruit citricity and creaminess of texture. (Raveneau doesn’t believe in a lot of lees-contact, so that is not whence this creaminess comes.) Ravishingly pure, lip-smackingly luscious finishing fruit and subtle nut oils prove irresistible even if it this is one Chablis – in terms of descriptors anyway – that’s not about “minerals” and will probably be best enjoyed over the next 3-5 years. Bernard Raveneau is an unabashed partisan of his 2005s – and no wonder, based on the subset of those that I tasted, including a magnificent Valmur which he rightly terms “complete” and “close to his ideal.” Raveneau is less effusive in praise of his 2006s – each of which I tasted from a selection of barrels – opining that lavish fruit and richness are precisely this collection’s fortes. I think he underestimates the depth of his own 2006s, and only hope I have opportunity to revisit some of them in five or ten years. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524