Wine Advisor
Raveneau, Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux 2011
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
I drank most of my bottles of Raveneau's 2011 Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux too young, and more fool me, as the wine is now really hitting its stride. Offering up aromas of oyster shell, citrus oil and beeswax, the slightly herbal notes that betrayed the vintage in its youth have been transformed into scents of warm hay as this Butteaux reaches maturity. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, with chalky structure and impeccable balance, it concludes with an impressively long, penetrating finish.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2011 Chablis Butteaux is subtle, gracious and utterly impeccable in its elegance. All the elements are simply in the right place. Articulate, energetic and nuanced, the 2011 captures all the qualities of this 1er Cru site, in miniature. This is another of the more approachable 2011s from Raveneau.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The bigger, sturdier side of Chablis is on display in the 2011 Chablis Butteaux. The Butteaux is likely to require several years at a minimum to drink well, as some of the more angular contours need time to settle down. Still, it shows impressive depth and minerality in the classic Raveneau style, with plenty of tension, depth and class.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Reduced aromas of ripe apple, pepper, spearmint and crushed stone. Broad and rich; less obviously mineral than the 2012 version but the ripe, intense pineapple flavor will give this wine good early accessibility. Finishes with a firm stony edge.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(from vines high on the hillside, with a lot of clay in the soil): Bright pale yellow. Fresh but subdued aromas of lemon, menthol and minerals. Dense, saline and firm, with lovely citric cut and a spice element giving the mid-palate captivating perfume. This elegantly styled premier cru finishes long, tight and quite dry.
About the Producer
Domaine Raveneau is Chablis's finest producer. Jean Raveneau has 7 hectares of vines and produces beautifully crafted wines from three Grands Crus (Blanchot, les Clos and Valmur and four Premiers Crus (Montée de Tonnerres, les Vaillons, Butteaux and Chapelot) All the grapes are hand harvested (one of the very few remaining growers in Chablis to do so) and Jean Marie prefers to pick early rather than late, with the aim of preserving the grapes' acidities. The grapes are fermented in stainless steel vats and the wine are then aged in large oak feuilletes (the barrels have an average age of 7-8 years) for 18 months. Very low yields allied to meticulous wine making techniques are what make these wines so highly prized. They are renowned for their pure, racy minerality and rich, honeyed fruit, as well as for their ageworthiness - it would be a pity not to let them have the five to ten years in the cellar that they need to reach their sublime best.
1993(1)1999(1)2000(1)2001(1)2003(2)2004(1)2006(4)2010(4)
Package Size
