Wine Advisor
Raveneau, Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux 2017
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2017 Chablis Butteaux 1er Cru is a deep, powerful wine with a prominent center of stony minerality that gives the wine its distinctive personality. Dried flowers, savory herbs, citrus peel, crushed rocks and white pepper all develop in the glass. The natural power of old vines and a cool micro-climate yield a Chablis of real distinction. The 2017 is a Chablis of extraordinary class and nuance. Inward and chiseled to the core, the Butteaux is a model of classicism. I loved it.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Chablis Butteaux 1er Cru perhaps does not quite deliver the same complexity as Raveneau’s other Premier Crus at the moment, but it is more surly and backward in style. The palate is well balanced with a hint of orange rind and quince on the entry, a delicate touch of spice (curry leaf?) on the mid-palate and fine tension towards the focused and quite persistent finish. It actually gets better as it goes along but it is the one Premier Cru that is keeping to itself in barrel.
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)2007(1)2010(5)2011(8)2012(3)2013(4)2014(7)2015(5)2016(6)
Package Size
