2005 Chablis Blanchots

(done entirely in barriques, none of them new) Good bright, pale yellow. Peach and apricot nectar on the somewhat exotic nose, complicated by toasty, spicy oak and almond blossom. Quite concentrated and powerful but a bit youthfully aggressive today. But there's strong fruit, enticing spiciness and a note of acacia flower here that promise a positive evolution in bottle. Finishes broad, spicy and fine-grained, with excellent length. I still give the '04 version a slight edge for its minerally, citric thrust.