2016 Jean-François Ganevat Les Chalasses Marnes Bleues La Combe

To prove the point that Les Vignes de Mon Père is a completely different wine—from start to finish—than the 2016 Les Chalasses Marnes Bleues, Ganevat poured both. And for the first time, I could taste the Vignes de Mon Père and Marnes Bleues side by side from the same (young) vintage and see how the wines are indeed different! I was puzzled, delighted and amazed in equal parts. Anyway, this is my favorite topped-up Savagnin (not counting Les Vignes de Mon Père, that is!), and it comes from vines planted in 1930 on blue marl soils that make it into the name of the wine. I hate to say that it felt a little rustic next to the Mon Père from the same vintage, which had other-worldly finesse and distracted me a little from this superb version of Marnes Bleues. This has the electric palate of the 2013 and 2014, completely different from the 2015, and it's still young and undeveloped but with terrific depth and balance to make a terrific vintage of this wine, perhaps the best so far.