2012 Chablis Les Preuses

The 2012 Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses has a nose that strides out of the blocks and takes charge over those premier crus. Real mineralite here – you can smell that Kimmeridgian! The palate is extremely well-balanced with razor-sharp acidity you could cut your finger on. Beautifully poised with bags of spice on the finish, this is one powerful Les Preuses – one of the finest grand crus of the vintage. Drink now-2025. Raveneau or Vincent Dauvissat? Cognoscenti seem to be split about which of these growers represent the pinnacle of Chablis, though frankly I would not complain if I found either in my glass. I have adored these wines for many years, though this was the first time that I had visited their small 16th and 17th century cellars. Vincent’s grandfather was one of the first to bottle his own wines in the 1930s, then Rene took over with his wife Madeleine and enhanced the domaine’s reputation until his retirement. Vincent told me that the first vintage that he participated in was the 1977 and that know-how had been passed down through empiricism, from father to son and so on. There are around 14 hectares of vine, predominantly premier cru. The 2012s bestowed a normal crop in terms of quantity, although 2013 was down to around 28 hectoliters per pectare, though Vincent emphasized that this was not catastrophic. “The crus had the same analysis in 2012. The terroir making the difference,” he said. He used around 10% to 15% of new oak, the rest a mixture of aged wood. Unsurprisingly, these were a set of quite sublime expressions of Chablis that leave you questioning whether it’s worth bothering with the rest of the tastings (which of course it is, but you know what I mean when you taste something that you are convinced will not be bettered.) These Chablis seem to be sculpted by the earth itself, exquisitely balanced and with more minerality than almost all of their peers. Even the village cru would leave other premier crus behind. The 2013s were unfortunately in an awkward stage, although I had a chance to taste a couple from barrel. I look forward to tasting them on my next visit. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802 Under the Dauvissat-Camus label, certain of these wines are also imported by Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel. (781) 352 1100; and Domaine Direct and Justerini & Brooks in the UK.

Bright yellow. Aromas of elderflower, ginger, quinine and fern, plus a hint of petrol. Densely packed, dry and backward; hints at superb sucrosite on the vibrant middle palate, but the tight, chewy finish is dominated by menthol and wet stone. Not as expressive today as it was from barrel a year ago but built for a long and glorious evolution in bottle.

The 2012 Chablis Preuses is everything great Chablis is supposed to be. Weightless, gracious and utterly impeccable, the Preuses is dazzling from the very first taste. Almonds, crushed rocks, mint and graphite flow through to an intensely saline, explosive finish. What a gorgeous wine this is.