2007 Chablis Valmur
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Tasting notes
In tank awaiting bottling, the Raveneau 2007 Chablis Valmur smells alluringly of iris, basswood, mint, and lemon, with a pungent hint of white pepper. With terrific pungency and cut on the palate yet, at the same time, superb textural refinement, this combines refreshment, invigorating piquancy, and vivid chalkiness with subtle creaminess of texture and an effortless sense of finishing buoyancy that perfectly fits its persistently wafting floral perfume. Once again with this cru chez Raveneau, we have truly grand cru magic that should continue in bottle for at least 12-15 years. 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
Critic scores
Average Score
Allen Meadows, Burghound
The Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Pale, bright color. Ineffable aromas of lemon, lime leaf, stone and acacia flower. The palate offers outstanding purity, clarity and energy, with terrific lift to the penetrating lemon and mineral flavors. Rich but wonderfully elegant grand cru, with a magical rising finish and great lightness of touch. My style of wine. This was a knockout a year ago, and it's every bit as good now.
Good pale color. Pure, subtle aromas of powdered stone, citrus peel and white truffle. Broad, dense and rich, with wonderfully intense flavors of citrus fruits and liquid stone. Terrific juicy acidity gives this wine excellent grip and extends the powerful finish. With aeration, the back end showed captivating honey-and-citrus perfume and superb floral lift.
Here the nose is every bit as elegant if not more so but it's distinctly cooler and somehow more distant yet the strong Chablis character is immediately evident as the nose is a classic combination of green fruit, warm stone, iodine and distilled extract of sea water and this intense saline quality continues onto the equally cool, brilliantly defined and stunningly well balanced flavors that are crystalline in their purity on the driving finish. This does a slow but steady build in intensity from the mid-palate on back and the length is flat out amazing. Allen Meadows, Burghound, Oct01,2009.