2005 Chablis Butteaux
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Tasting notes
Easily the best of the these three Montmains climats with an aromatically reserved nose that is clearly less ripe offers nuances of white peach, pear and sea breeze that continue onto the impressively concentrated, intense and powerful flavors that possess excellent dry extract, all wrapped around a firm acid spine and terrific length. This has plenty of nervosité and real harmony of expression.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Good pale, green-tinged color. Stony, pure and subdued on the nose. Tightly wound today, with the citrus, mineral and spicy oak flavors coming across as dry, even austere. Strong acids and minerality give the finish a faint hard edge and make this tricky to taste today. Right now the fruit is in the deep background.
(tasted from a 132-liter feuillatte Austere nose of crushed stone, lemon and lime. Densely packed and penetrating, with vibrant citrus peel flavor and terrific inner-palate energy. The wine's underlying richness is currently kept under wraps by its strong acids and mineral spine. Finishes juicy and quite youthfully closed.
I have to admit that this bottle of the 2005 Chablis Butteaux 1er Cru does not quite “launch.” It feels a little subdued on the nose, only gradually awakening with linden and wet wool scents. The palate is beautifully balanced with impressive weight, though it just misses the nuance and gravitas of a great Raveneau.