FRANCOIS RAVENEAU CHABLIS 1ER TONNERRE 2022 750ML

A benchmark Montée de Tonnerre. The domaine has 3.1ha in total, made up of a blend of 10 different plots within Chapelot and Pied d'Aloup, vines aged from 10-60 years. Distinct notes of crisp green apple, cool on the nose and palate with great freshness. Impressive stony, mineral characters support the concentration. A profound rendition in which elegance meets power. For long-term ageing.

The 2022 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre is also a strong performer this year, reminiscent of a more open version of the terrific 2020. Delivering aromas of orange oil, pear and green apple mingled with hints of white flowers, buttery pastry and oyster shell, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with bright acids and a long, saline finish. On my most recent visit to the domaine, Isabelle Raveneau presented the young wines from barrel, along with a selection of the just-bottled 2021s. She compares the 2022 vintage with 2020; and in the wines' purity of fruit and ability to remain fresh and ethereal in so warm a year, 2022 is indeed strongly reminiscent of a somewhat fleshier 2020. The young 2021s couldn't offer more of a contrast: chiseled and incisive, with a touch of aromatic exotica in the generic Chablis bottling; but they are far from austere, and much like the domaine's 2016s, I suspect they will be quite approachable young despite their more old-school profile.

The 2022 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru has a very minerally bouquet, crushed limestone, sea cave and fleeting glimpses of citrus fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity, very citrus lemon. A little sourness towards the finish lends energy and tension. Superb.