FRANCE: Chablis
2016 Gold: 5 Silver: 11 Bronze: 0 Commended: 6
2015 Gold: 2 Silver: 6 Bronze: 2 Commended: 7
Chablis seems to be one of those regions that does well in vintages when the rest of France struggles, and so it was again here. Five Golds equalled the region’s previous best haul in this competition, recorded in 2014. That success was driven by the 2012 vintage; this year’s was mostly recorded with wines from 2014.
A cooler year, it gave the wines that classic Chablis stony crunch – real typicity and minerality. On the downside, the wines flirted with tightness – and many of those that didn’t get medals were simply deemed too inaccessible at the moment. If they reappear in this competition next year, they may well shine.
Price-wise, apart from Daniel Séguinot & Filles' Gold Lister and the outstanding Silver-medal-winning Louis Moreau Petit Chablis, we were firmly in the £10+ range here, but our tasters didn’t seem to mind that too much. Chablis, it seems, is a sufficiently well-known region to be able to handle higher pricing without turning off customers. And when it gets it right (as in years like 2014) it has a style that’s simply impossible to replicate.
FROM THE TASTING TEAMS
‘There was quite a range of prices but there was also an ascent in terms of concentration as we went up the price points. There were some that were forward and others that were clearly a bit tight. Wines that were nowhere near ready to drink didn’t get medals.’ Simon Woods, team leader
‘I think a lot of people who don’t like oaked Chardonnay come to Chablis. The [Domaine Louis Moreau] wine was a very good example. It had enough ripeness to have roundness but still had freshness, and was incredible value. It’s an early £20 Chablis where you’d still get your full margin.’ Charlie Young, Vinoteca
‘It was a pleasant surprise to see some wines under £10 that I would have placed [on a list].’ Alexendru Pastrav, Fenchurch Sky Gardens
‘[The flight] didn’t blow me away but it wasn’t disappointing. There were no surprises and perhaps that’s what the customer wants. They don’t want to go off-piste. That’s what they are buying into. In that way it was a textbook flight.’ Jade Koch, team leader
‘Some of the cru wines were almost Sauvignon Blanc-like in their fruitiness; others were big and buttery, in keeping with the character of a Chardonnay.’ Deborah-Lynn Morris, Aramark at JP Morgan
‘The cru wines were a very solid flight, I was quite impressed. The quality was high – a good reflection of the Chablis right and left banks.’ Olivier Marie, team leader
‘There were fresh mineral wines to oaked, complex styles. The classical citrusy styles were the most preferred.’ Andre Luis Martins, The Cavalry and Guards Club