2007 Chablis Butteaux
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Tasting notes
The wood this displayed when I originally reviewed it from bottle has now faded to all but a whisper as it frames the pretty mix of Chablis-style aromas that include now mostly mature white orchard fruit and a discreet note of mineral reduction. There is good verve to the rounded yet attractively vibrant middle weight flavors that display plenty of minerality before terminating in a clean, moderately dry and impressively complex and persistent finish. For my taste this has arrived at its peak though it should be capable of holding at this level for another decade or so.
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Average Score
Allen Meadows, Burghound
The Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Raveneau’s 2007 Chablis Butteaux smells uncannily of the sea and beach detritus, marking the greatest imaginable contrast to the exotically, lushly-fruited aromas of the 2006. Brine, iodine, and things crustacean and bivalvular mark the palate here, too, along with refreshing lemon, bittersweet floral perfume, and hints of tart red berry. The suggestions of cask should prove well-integrated in the final assemblage (portions of the initial blend had, unsurprisingly, been returned to newer barrels than had others) and a long finish of truly lip-smacking and thought-provoking savor is assured over the better part of the next decade. Bernard Raveneau views his bright, mineral-inflected 2007s – picked from September 10-16 – as potentially richer versions of 2004, since the former, he indicates, have gained in textural allure during their elevage. That also explains why he did not plan to bottle most of these 2007s until late spring or summer, and I have accordingly not tasted them since bottling. (Incidentally, Raveneau is very excited and intrigued by his 2008s, wines with an effusion of floral and herbal youthful aromatics that he says he has never before encountered, but whose finished results he speculated might combine aspects of 2006 and 2007.) Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel (510) 524-1524
Reticent nose shows more menthol and crushed stone than fruit. Then tactile and high-pitched in the mouth, with terrific acid grip and floral lift to frame its intense flavors of crushed stone, minerals and lemon. Finishes very long and brisk, with a resounding stony quality. (ST)
Good pale color. Cool aromas of lemon, minerals and spice; this smells austere. Then classically dry and stony, with sharply chiseled flavors of lemon, lime and stone complicated by a saline element. Finishes very dry and minerally, with lovely purity.