2016 Chablis Reserve de l'Obedience

A barrel selection, the 2016 Chablis Grand Cru Blanchots La Réserve de l'Obédience is more reserved than the regular bottling of Blanchots, unfurling in the glass with a reticent nose of crisp buttered orchard fruit, wet stones and spring flowers. On the palate, it's fuller-bodied, more ample and complete, with lovely depth, dimension and concentration and an impressive alliance of texture and tension. The finish is long, pure and stony.

Pale, bright yellow; a bit less green than the regular Blanchots. Knockout nose combines crushed rock, gentian flower, fresh herbs, anise and spices (Viennois described the wine's oak element as kirsch -like); the other Blanchots shows more airy notes of white flowers while this hints at more depth and power. Concentrated, energetic and chewy, with an element of dry extract that will probably require longer aging than the comparatively silky classic Blanchots. Wonderfully ripe but totally dry; a wine with serious dimension. Viennois noted that the team builds this wine "by constructing a triangle of acidity, power and aromatics" and that the Réserve comprises the lots "at the center of the triangle, not the extremes." Typically, the differences between the two wines are not so evident at the beginning but become more pronounced over time. (And the Blanchots La Réserve de l'Obédience is about 80% more expensive to the final customer, added Viennois.)