2004 Chablis

Creamy spiced almonds are found in the nose of the 2004 Chablis. Light to medium-bodied, this fine value offers a soft, expressive, easygoing core of spiced pears as well as minerals in its flavor profile. Drink it over the next 1-2 years. Acquired in 2003 by Beaune’s Maison Louis Latour, the Maison Simonnet-Febvre is a negociant house that dates back to 1840. In conjunction with Latour’s recent acquisition of Maison Verget’s winemaking facility in Chitry (near Chablis), this purchase underscores Maison Louis Latour’s strong commitment to being a significant player in Chablis in the future. Simonnet-Febvre is under the direction of a Burgundian (originally from Vosne-Romanee), Jean-Philippe Archambaud, who worked for years for the Rhone’s Maison Chapoutier. Archambaud explained to me that the near-term plans that have been established by Louis-Fabrice Latour, the director of Maison Louis Latour, call for Simonnet-Febvre to increase production from the current 35,000 cases a year to 84,000 cases by 2009. At present, this firm fashions wines from 27 different appellations, ranging from sparkling wine, to Irancy, and to a multitude of different Chablis crus. It owns 3.7 hectares (9.15 acres) of vines, including well-situated parcels of Chablis villages (2 hectares, or 4.94 acres), 1.4 hectares of premier cru Monts du Milieu (3.46 acres), and grand cru Preuses (0.3 hectares, or 0.74 acres). Simonnet-Febvre is distributed in the U.S. through the same channels as Louis Latour, with different importers in each state.