2015 Chablis

With a fine, pale colour, the nose is restrained in youth, but there is a delicious wealth of fruit on the palate, folded into a rich background and finishing in fresh style. This is a very stylish bottling of Fourchaume. Drink 2019-2023.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Visiting the domaine during the 2015 harvest, we found Margaux Laroche beaming like a cat with two tails. The storm which had dropped hail over other vineyards had merely provided much needed water for their Fourchaume vines. The grapes badly needed the extra juice which the rains provided, and the extra hang time allowed for them to assimilate the water usefully and then regain their equilibrium behind. The resulting wines are terrific.

Around 25 percent of this cuvée was raised in oak, of which 15 percent is new. Fresh, with an elegant nose, the mid-palate offers good weight and a caressing generosity, before leading into a long, chalky finish. A wine of discreet power.

From 50- to 60-year-old vines, this displays the lovely suave texture of Les Preuses, as yet very tightly knit, showing the concentration of the vintage but also the fresh, mineral underlying acidity. Drink 2020-2025.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Samuel has not only been able to take back his share of the family vineyards but he has also moved into some excellent premises which he has been refurbishing, in the heart of Chablis. It was good to find him in such a cheerful frame of mind. The long, slow vinification of his 2015s has done the wines a lot of good. We found a concentration of minerality and characteristic saline finishes.

A fine, pale colour, this has a very steely backward nose. The concentration is absolutely there, with the detail still to come. The fruit swells beautifully on the palate, with clean fresh pear notes and a very fine sense of balance, bearing the freshness of the best wines of the vintage alongside the weight. Drink 2020-2026.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Quantity is a bit of a problem this year as the Michels suffered hail in 22 of their 25 hectares. Fortunately most of the Grands Crus were spared, but they have very little Chablis or Premier Cru. Guillaume Michel brought in most of the crop in three and a half days, so there was no deterioration of the grapes from the areas which suffered. The grapes were in fact ripe to perfection and, as with last year, this is an impressive range of wines.

From a single block planted in 1943 and untouched since, this has a fine, clear colour. There is a delicious purity to the wine; correctly austere, a little white fruit and a fine sense of concentration. With proper Chablisien minerals, it is quite firm – a wine of class and potential longevity rather than immediate sex appeal. Very marine finish, you can almost taste the fish themselves! Drink 2018-2024.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer


Quantity is a bit of a problem this year as the Michels suffered hail in 22 of their 25 hectares. Fortunately most of the Grands Crus were spared, but they have very little Chablis or Premier Cru. Guillaume Michel brought in most of the crop in three and a half days, so there was no deterioration of the grapes from the areas which suffered. The grapes were in fact ripe to perfection and, as with last year, this is an impressive range of wines.

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.

A pure, clear colour, this wine has an intense nose with notes of white fruit and wet wool. Initially it’s very juicy, but with balancing acidity and medium weight on the palate. The most remarkable feature is the finish, which goes on and on and leaves a salty tang which calls for shellfish.

This is much more exotic, but in a very good way. The wine has real nervous tension along with Montée de Tonnerre’s natural opulence. There’s a touch of spice here, excellent acidity, a fine thread of concentrated yellow plum fruit and a little bit of orange blossom. Complex and interesting. Drink 2018-2024.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer


Quantity is a bit of a problem this year as the Michels suffered hail in 22 of their 25 hectares. Fortunately most of the Grands Crus were spared, but they have very little Chablis or Premier Cru. Guillaume Michel brought in most of the crop in three and a half days, so there was no deterioration of the grapes from the areas which suffered. The grapes were in fact ripe to perfection and, as with last year, this is an impressive range of wines.

A brilliant, clear colour, this has a very sensual nose of white flowers and fruit. There is a really gracious texture here with the usual Preuses cashmere coating. It’s fully ripe but not heavy, a beauty. There is great energy behind, but with distinction rather than brute force. Drink 2022-2028.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine buyer

In common with most of his colleagues, Didier Séguier was ready to harvest in early September; starting on Thursday 3rd 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.

From the steepest part of the vineyard, this has a little light primrose colour and a glorious, magisterial bouquet. With some fresh lemon notes, there is huge weight to this, opening out to a really sumptuous succulent finish – and just a touch of youthful bitterness to drive the saliva. Some tannins at the back add to the concentration, fabulous dry extract. Hugely impressive, this is perhaps the Chablis of the vintage. Drink 2022-2035.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

In common with most of his colleagues, Didier Séguier was ready to harvest in early September; starting on Thursday 3rd 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.

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.