Les Terres Blanches

This is 10 percent Pinot Blanc, 90 percent Chardonnay; clear, bright and fresh with an absolutely beautiful nose displaying white flowers. There is a huge volume of fruit on the palate, with good acidity behind and really charming, dancing fruit.

Patrice Rion compares 2014 to a mix of 1979 and 1989 for the aromatics and delighted to have been able to pick a more or less normal-sized crop. He began on 12th September with healthy grapes, reinforced by his system of two sorting tables, one before and one after de-stemming. The amount of new oak has been reduced here, now just 30 percent on most cuvées.

The Chardonnay (90p percent) is leavened by 10 percent Pinot Blanc here. The fruit and oak are in perfect balance, rounded and welcoming, with a more reductive crunch behind. There are little hints of verbena. This is very complete and very beautiful. Elegance and great length. Bravo. Drink 2018-2024.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

With more than 35 vintages under his belt, Patrice Rion considers that 2015 is the finest of his career, offering elegance, acidity and persistence. They began picking on 5th September and finished before the rain which arrived the following weekend. The only sorting that needed doing was to remove any dried-out berries. The yields were acceptable, just 10 percent down in volume on the previous vintage. Unusually, Patrice and his son Maxime have used some whole bunches on certain cuvées, notably the Clos des Argillières and Clos St Marc.