2004 Domaine Raveneau Chablis Blanchot Grand Cru

Scented, sleek, with enough ripe fruit to distract from the acidity. Definitely in retreat at the moment but should eventually flower rather superbly. Lots of acidity. (JR)

Bright, pale yellow. Peach, white plum and menthol on the very ripe nose. Rich, sweet, suave and seamless in the mouth; seems less complex than the Butteaux and Montee de Tonnerre, but this one shows another dimension of texture and volume. There's nearly always a designated "experimental" wine in this cellar; in 2004 it was this Blanchots that was vinified entirely in barriques, some of them new, and then moved into older barrels for aging. Offers a lovely combination of fruits and spices but does not come across as especially oaky. Still, this is certainly the oddball in the cellar this year, with its minerality currently overshadowed by fruit.

Loads of spicy pears and minerals can be found in the aromatic profile of the 2004 Chablis Blanchots. Big, bold, and rich, this spicy wine is silky-textured and medium to full-bodied. Bitter lemons (a positive), candied limes, spices, and flint compose its complex flavor profile. Projected maturity: now-2012. The Raveneau brothers were in the process of bottling their 2004s when I visited the estate in late April, 2006. “This is a vintage of pleasure, the 2004s are simple wines, they do not have a powerful constitution,” said Bernard Raveneau, who concentrates on vineyard work and handles the vinifications. (His brother Francois deals with all the tractor work as well as the administrative issues.) He reiterated what I’d heard in all of Burgundy’s cellars, that the yields had gotten totally out of control during the rain-plagued month of August. “We harvested 70 hectoliters per hectare on average across the entire estate. We’ve never seen such a plethoric vintage!” Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524