2016 Domaine Louis Michel et Fils Chablis Montee de Tonnerre 1er Cru

The 2016 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru has a lean, quite austere bouquet that needs a little more penetration. The palate is straightforward with cooking apple and gooseberry notes, alas the finish feels smudged and lacks the precision of its peers. Early drinking only. Tasted blind at the BIVB Chablis tasting.

The 2016 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre offers up aromas of lemon oil, lime zest and honeycomb, framed by a subtle touch of reduction. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, pure and glossy, with more cut and tension than the Vaulorent, without quite matching the liveliness and energy of the Séchet.

Light-medium yellow. A step up in aromatic complexity from the rest of the Louis Michel premier crus, but with its shy fruit element currently overshadowed by smoky oyster-shell minerality. Similarly, the wine's stone and citrus fruit flavors are dominated in the early going by rich, saline, rocky minerality. This structured wine finishes precise, shapely, firm and long. Excellent potential here, but this will need cellaring.