2013 Chablis Bougros Cote Bouguerots

Tasted blind at the annual “Burgfest” tasting in Brouilland. The 2013 Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Cote Bouguerots from William Fevre was majestic just after bottling but here, under blind conditions, perhaps this wine is entering a dumb phase? It has a pretty, detailed bouquet with lime flower, citrus lemon and flint-like scents that gain more vigor in the glass. The palate is clean and crisp on the entry, tightly bound, linear and very strict towards the saline and sultry finish. There is something reticent about this Grand Cru, one that leaves you asking for more when what it really needs is simply more time in bottle. My score reflects its showing now but I expect that to rise in 4-5 years time. Tasted May 2016.

Bright, pale yellow-green. Precise aromas of lemon, lime and oyster shell, plus a note of mineral reduction. In the mouth, a sexy toasty nuance complements the ripe stone fruit and saline mineral flavors. Nicely pliant wine but also boasts very good inner-mouth tension and purity. Finishes tactile and long, showing very little impact of the vintage. Superb.

Lively green-apple nose, steely and tight, though the leesy texture softens that tension. Holds your attention for longer than the Valmur, but loses it as the finish dies away rather quickly. (JH)