1995 Chablis Butteaux

Purloined by Isabelle Raveneau to share over dinner, the 1995 Chablis 1er Cru les Butteaux showed beautifully after 22 years. The bouquet is intense with lime, dried honey, lanolin and a slight touch of wet wool, as if borrowed from a mature Chenin Blanc. It has superb delineation, though maybe you could argue it lacks a little subtlety. The palate is very well balanced, quite viscous on the entry with great depth. Lime and grapefruit at first, then more tropical tones of guava and pawpaw with a thick, waxy-textured finish. I appreciate the presence and volume of this Butteaux, and pristine bottles should keep another decade. Tasted June 2017.