By Raymond Chan
The Chablis
and white burgundies from 2007 represent finesse and purity and can be counted
as excellent examples, well-worthy of being in one’s cellar. In such vintages where the fruit is
pre-disposed towards elegance and stylishness, producers such as the likes of
Joseph Drouhin are in their element. The
result of the growing conditions and winemaker’s signature has resulted in
extraordinarily beautiful wines of delicacy, that will repay cellaring. Such wines will never be the biggest or the
most flavoursome, but they will provide outstanding, refined drinking with
special meals over the next decade. That
was the expectation from experience and the advice from critical reviews. Did the wines deliver? Here are my notes on the wines from a most
educational and indeed wonderful tasting.
The wines were served in known brackets of style, but blind:
Flight One: 2008 Kumeu River
‘Single Vineyard’ Chardonnays
It is
acknowledged that Michael Brajkovich of Kumeu
River makes Chardonnay wines that are
closest to white burgundy in style, here in New Zealand. The wines are not fruit-extroverted and sweet
in ripeness, but elegant, nutty, savoury and complex with restraint. They will never be wine show winners. It was appropriate that we began with the
latest releases of the Kumeu
River single vineyard
wines, made from fruit sourced in the Kumeu region. The winemaking is essentially the same for
all three wines, though Mendoza
clone is used at Mates Vineyard, rather than Clone 15. Hand-harvesting, whole bunch pressing,
indigenous yeasts with total barrel fermentation and MLF, and a maturation
regime of 11 months (12 for the Mates) in approx. 20% new French oak. All of the wines are labelled at 13.5% alc.
The
differences between the wines was subtle, but significant. First up was the Kumeu River ‘Hunting Hill’ Chardonnay 2008 (18.5/20) was very pale
in colour, with a fine, piercing nose of florals, nuts and white stonefruits
with a lace of minerals and complex sulphides.
Very fine and tight on palate, the purity of stonefruit flavours was the
feature. Beautifully cut with the
acidity, this was mouth-watering and delicious with it. Great class, in the Puligny style if one were
to make the burgundian analogy. Next was
the Kumeu River ‘Mates’ Chardonnay 2008 (19.0/20), brilliant straw with golden
glints to the colour. Very fine and
softly expressed on bouquet, this had classic white peach aromas and a richness
filling the nose. A complete wine, rich
and deep, yet with elegance, there were beautiful stonefruit and citrus
flavours with density and concentration, absolutely seamless and harmonious
with lovely fine acidity rounding off the palate. Comparisons with top premier cru could be
made. Third was the Kumeu River ‘Coddington’ Chardonnay 2008
(18.5-/20), bright light golden yellow, this was soft and full on the elegantly
proportioned bouquet, with yellow stonefruit characters. A little breadth, and reduction notes coming
through with air time. This had a gentle
and fullish palate, with yellow fruits alongside acacia, and medium depth. Meursault-like in style. Interestingly the latter two wines were
equally preferred over the first.
Flight Two: Chablis & Chablis 1er Cru
Drouhin have
38 ha of vineyard in the Chablis region, and their wines are right down the
line, preferring to have the most deft oaken touch. Tasters were to attempt to identify the
village wine. It was not an easy task. All were quite subtle in their ‘flinty’ racy
Chablis terroir’. First was the Drouhin Chablis 1er Cru ‘Vaillons’ 2007
(18.0+/20), 12.5% alc, from domaine fruit, 30 y.o. vines Drouhin has 5.25 ha of
the 105 ha total. Aged 12 months in
seasoned oak. Pale straw yellow in
colour, this had a very fine and very tight, steely, mineral and flint hinted
nose, superbly pure and clear in expression.
Showing great cut and purity on palate, the acidity was mouthwatering,
and the stonefruit and minerals were soft and delicate. Very much in the Vaillon white floral
style. Keep 5-6 years. Then came the Drouhin Chablis 1er Cru ‘Montmains’ 2007 (17.5/20), 12.5% alc,
domaine fruit, 28 y.o. vines, Drouhin has 4.45 ha of the 37 ha total. Aged 12 months in seasoned oak. Very pale with straw green hues, with lovely
delicate wet stones, flintiness and a hint of reduction on bouquet. Light weighted, but with significant acidity
providing structure to the delicate flavours of minerals, nutty sulphide notes
and citrus nuances. Very long and
distinctly minerally on the finish. A
wine to keep 5-7 years. Final of the
flight was the Drouhin Chablis 2007 (17.0+/20),
12.5% alc, domain fruit, 29 y.o. vines, Drouhin has 21 ha, the wine aged in vat
7-8 months. Fullish straw yellow in
colour, this was up-front with straight-forward, light stonefruit and
flint-based aromatics. Soft and open on
palate, the yellow fruit flavours were full and quite gentle. Simple and showing typicity, one to drink in
the next 3-4 years.
Flight Three: Chablis Grand Cru
A step up in
weight, richness and density for these two.
More layers of flavour unfolded in the glass. First was the Drouhin Chablis Grand Cru ‘Les Clos’ 2007 (18.0+/20), 12.5%, from
domain fruit, 37 y.o. vines, Drouhin has 1.3 ha of the 27 ha total. Aged 12 months in seasoned oak. Straw yellow with some depth to the colour,
this had an elegantly sized nose with richness and intensity. A soft purity on nose was reflected on
palate, but with depth and concentration, the lusciousness coming through. Rich yellow fruits, nectarines, soft acids
and some depth and length. This was
outclassed by the Drouhin Chablis Grand
Cru ‘Bougros’ 2007 (18.5+/20), 12.5% alc, from domaine fruit, 27 y.o.
vines, Drouhin has 0.4 ha of the 14 ha total.
Aged 12 months in seasoned oak.
Full light straw colour with some golden hues. This exudes great minerality on the nose,
subtle, delicate, but with real depth. A
wine with richness and drive on palate, the acid cut is significant. A touch of alcohol also came through. Excellent length, with plenty of stone-like
flavours emerging with time.
Flight Four: Cote de Beaune 1er Cru
Here the
wines were less marked by acidity and showed much more weight, richness and oak
spice. The instructive comparison of
Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet came through well. First was the Drouhin Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru ‘Fo