2008 Domaine de Chantemerle Chablis L'Homme Mort 1er Cru

The Boudin 2008 Chablis Homme Mort bursts with fresh tangerine and lemon, yellow cherry and mirabelle; displays a fine sense of transparency to saline and chalky mineral character on a palate of waxy richness and juicy refreshment; and finishes long on zest, pit, and crushed stone, but at the same time absolutely lip-smackingly. Here is a terrific example of the exuberance of the 2008 vintage together with pronounced yet savory minerality, and one can count on a decade or more of mouth-watering fascination. This (unfortunately tiny) bottling has amassed an impressive track record over the years, and Boudin points out that it is informed exclusively by a portion of the merely twelve hectares of this extremely elongated premier cru – which otherwise parallels the valley of the Serein – that turn to face due south into the combe that separates it from Fourchaume proper. (The 2007 tastes even more hauntingly complex today, though less generous.) Boudin once again delivers excellent value via tank vinification in his unglamourous (and in summer, quite warm) above-ground facility A Peter Vezan Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93