2011 Chablis Foret
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Tasting notes
Raveneau's 2011 Chablis 1er Cru Forêt is drinking very well, offering up an expressive nose of preserved lemon, white flowers, beeswax and even creamy white peach. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied and elegantly glossy, with good depth and concentration, underpinned by racy acids. While some of the more tight-knit 2011s in the Raveneau cellar still need a few more years—most notably the Montée de Tonnerre—readers who own this lovely Forêt, which surpassed my expectations, should feel no qualms about starting to pull corks.
Critic scores
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Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2011 Chablis Foret bursts from the glass with heady, tropical-inflected fruit, which is so unusual here. Tangerine, honey, wild flowers, herbs and nectarines are all woven into the textured, voluptuous finish. The 2011 will drink well pretty much right out of the gate, so there is no reason to delay gratification.
(bottled in February of 2013): Pale straw-yellow color. Ripe aromas and flavors of yellow peach, pineapple and wet stone show attractive sweetness but could use a bit more intensity and grip. Finishes dry and classic, with a slightly tannic quality and a note of crushed stone. These relatively young vines were planted between 1992 and 2000.
Raveneau's 2011 Chablis Foret comes across as relatively easygoing in this vintage. Still, there is a pretty sense of inner minerality that gives the wine its crystalline precision. Although not overly complex, the Forest is texturally quite attractive.