Louis Pinson himself retired in 1983, having made some fabulous old-style Chablis wines. His great-granddaughter, Charlène, along with her father, Laurent and her uncle Christophe have now taken over. Everything is hand-harvested, with sorting of the grapes both in the vineyard and winery. Fermentation is mostly in stainless steel using selected yeasts, then the wines are transferred to barrel for the maturation process.

This goes into 15 percent new wood and 85 percent tank for vinification, then maturation over 12 months in one-, two- and three-year-old wood. While the wood appears from time to time on the nose, the fruit soon kicks it to one side. With very significant weight on the palate, the wine shows the opulence of the year without losing its Chablis roots.

Fèvre has 10 plots in all, comprising just over four hectares, mostly very old vines, and mostly higher up the slope. The nose has it all: some peaches and plums, along with the stern approach of great Chablis. This is really very fine indeed. The sensational volume of fruit in the mouth fattens out towards the back then finishes with a linear drive. Absolutely complete.  Very long finish indeed. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

The domaine began picking on 26th September, the first to do so in Chablis and ahead of many in the Côte d’Or. It was the right decision since with their low yields and well aerated bunches the grapes were ripe enough, harvesting conditions were good, and everything was picked before the horrible weather of 5th and 6th October. As a result these are wines of exceptional intensity and potential longevity.

With a pale colour, this has a nose that suggests a wine of great potential power. It shows all the majesty of Les Clos, and the fruit is usefully supported by a touch of oak. Full and fine, with great grace and depth of fruit, this is exceptionally long. It clearly needs much more time though.

Laurent Pinson is happy to report better volumes than in recent vintages, and more typical Chablis in style. The grapes ripened nicely yet retained very good acidity. The crop was picked by hand in good weather, and fermented with natural yeasts. The crus are all barrel-aged, with a small proportion being barrel fermented. As usual, we see not just great quality but also excellent value for money at this estate.

Pale in colour with a fine, light green tint, this is massively concentrated and flinty. Although backward, you can see what will happen when it is eventually ready. The most complete wine of all in the mouth, with striking minerals wreathed in concentrated fruit, this is ripe but not over-ripe.

The vineyards near to Chablis itself were affected by the heat at Whitsun, which damaged the flowering, so the quantity of wine is no better than last year. Outlying communes, however, were less impacted. Benoît began the harvest early, on 11th September. He compares 2014 to 1996, 2007 (only richer) and 2010 (only more mineral). A recent development here is for the wines to be fermented using their own indigenous yeasts.

Brilliant, pure and pale in colour, the bouquet of this wine requires careful attention because there are so many notes on offer. There is a magical weight from the start and the same intense volume of fruit is maintained all the way through. This is a wine of extraordinary length, with waves of fruit returning again and again to complement the mineral acidity.
(Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director)

Picking began on 20th September, earlier than many Cote d’Or estates, and most grapes were brought in quickly before the rain at the end of the week. It was necessary to sort the grapes by hand to remove botrytis from the later picked vineyards, but the resulting range is not only exceptionally powerful but also very pure. Yields are very substantially reduced here (where they are always low in any case) so prices have risen a little. Didier Séguier thinks that 2010 is a truly great Chablis vintage for the long term.

A beautiful, very pale primrose, the nose is classy, showing the oak a bit at first, but then the noble fruit emerges. There is huge volume here, ultra-concentrated white fruit (maybe white-fleshed peaches), a touch of wood and then the spice of ripeness without undue weight. This is very impressive but Bougerots maybe wins this year. Drink 2022-2032.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

In common with most of his colleagues, Didier Séguier was ready to harvest in early September; starting on Thursday 3^rd with the vineyards which had been hit by the hail storm earlier in the week. The damage was to volume rather than quality and certainly just from tasting it was not possible to see where the hail had fallen. These are powerful wines which have nonetheless retained the qualities of classic Chablis.

The bouquet here is not yet ready to speak but it suggests great density and poise. There are powerful shoulders to the wine and while it has not yet had time for the finesse to show, it is certainly present and waiting. Wave after wave of flavour covers the palate, with spicy notes attached to the flesh and deep fruit, before an utterly explosive finish.
Jasper Morris MW, Berrys' Burgundy Director Picking started as early as 31st August at Domaine William Fèvre, which is extraordinarily early for Chablis, but a good decision seeing as it preserved the essential acidity in grapes which were ripe in their low-yielding vineyards. The crop was reduced on the right bank after a touch of frost slightly disturbed flowering and hail which arrived on 28th June. Didier Séguier, the talented winemaker, draws some parallels with 2000 and, in terms of the moderate but balanced acidity, 2002 – both of which are fine vintages indeed for Chablis. All of the wines listed below were farmed organically in 2011.

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As befits the well-exposed Grand Cru site, the fruit profile here is towards the stone fruit end of the spectrum. Spicy, rich, and with a hint of oak, there is outstanding concentration, a chalky minerality and a satisfying, long finish of pain d’épices. Drink 2021-2030.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

The legendary Louis Pinson himself retired in 1983, having made some fabulous oldstyle Chablis. His great-grand-daughter, Charlène, along with her father Laurent and her uncle Christophe are now in charge. There is a Rue Pinson in Chablis, dating back to an earlier generation when three Pinson brothers lived in identical houses on the street. Everything is hand-harvested, with sorting of the grapes both in the vineyard and at the winery. The wines are wild-fermented, mostly in stainless steel tanks, before barrel ageing, with the proportion of oak depending on the cuvée. Despite describing 2016 as a testing year, Laurent Pinson and his daughter Charlène are upbeat, declaring themselves very happy with the quality of the grapes and resultant wines. Volumes are down in many cases, and the limited-production Cuvée Mademoiselle has not been made this year.

Fine distinguished pale colour, while the nose is very backward, no problem with that. Very pure, very intense, the palate is sublime, white fruit, steely structure, a wealth of flesh firmly attached to the bones, a wine of immense potential and longevity.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Kept in barrel until December this is bright and clear in colour. Picked early, the fruit bounds out of the glass, no sign of the oak. Displaying a whole raft of different fruits, the oak lends support behind. In particular the fruit acid balance impresses. Great Chablis. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

Picking began on 30th September, stopped for the rainy weekend, then the small amount remaining was finished afterwards. The Pinsons have been making such good wine for several years now, and 2013 certainly continues that story.

50/50 old/new oak another contender for pick of the crop. A brilliant classic Clos 'noisette' nose, you can sense the power in reserve, palate so rich yet so fine, peerless texture and so long & pure on the finish..wait for it!

Again the old vines have delivered something special. This is perhaps the most exuberant of all the Billaud-Simon wines, yet the great weight of fruit is balanced by a steely, mineral core. Sumptuous, succulent and immensely satisfying. Drink 2012-2018.

Where the Mont de Milieu is about power, Pinson’s Les Clos is the epitome of finesse, albeit every bit as intense. The fruit has a serene quality to it, fills out the middle palate, then continues to an immensely long finish. This is a fabulously complete wine and a bargain at that!
(Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director)

Laurent Pinson thinks 2010 will be the longest lasting in the recent succession of successful vintages in Chablis, combining the intensity of 2009 with the invigorating acidity of the previous year. Though volume is down as for everybody, prices remain stable – meaning that this excellent address offers superb value. The Premier and Grand Cru wines are a blend of barrel and stainless steel maturation, though the wood component never dominates the wine.

Pale but intense and ultra-concentrated, this displays very dense white fruit and an edge of smokiness. Highly impressive, there is weight and fruit richness, with lovely lemon-scented notes,  brilliant intensity and a fine suave finish. Another great example of Les Clos magic. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

Benoît began harvesting on 26th September so almost everything was picked before the rain. Supply is down 30 percent because of the flowering but there was very little rot. It all passed off without problem during vinification and in the cellar.

Some lemon-scented notes freshen up the scintillating bouquet, while the core of steel which threads through the palate fully demonstrates its Grand Cru status.

From first sniff, this is a fabulous wine. Tasting it, even in its youth, brings a smile to the face. There is a brilliant rich white fruit bouquet and a great density of flavour on the palate. This wine displays a serene quality, with tremendous intensity of fruit, yet light on its feet. Terrific!
Jasper Morris MW - Burgundy Wine Director

This long-established family domaine impresses us more and more with every vintage. The Pinsons have always picked by hand and they are now using natural yeasts for the vinification process. Most wines are vinified in stainless steel, with a small percentage in barrel for the top wines, then matured in barrel for up to a year. The only bad news in 2012 is the quantity: 20% down for straight Chablis, 25-30% less across the Premier Cru vineyards and minus 50% on the Grand Cru which was affected by frost.