Tag Archives: Chablis

Antonin Rodet Chablis 2011

Two months ago I reviewed the first Chablis on these pages, and here is already the second one. Already, considering I mainly review Single Malt Whiskies that is.

Chablis is the northernmost part of the Burgundy Wine region. Chablis lies some 15 to 20 kilometres to the east of Auxerre. The Grand Crus all lie on one southwest facing slope just north of Chablis. The ‘terroir’ is clay with outcrops of the same chalk layer that runs from Sancerre to the White Cliffs of Dover. Chablis is made with Chardonnay Grapes and is famous for its clean, acidic, flinty and dry White Wines. Chablis Wines are more acidic due to the cool climate, compared to other Chardonnay growing regions. Not a lot of ageing in wood is done in Chablis, and this example I’m about to review has no wood ageing whatsoever.

The Chablis by Louis Moreau was pretty good, so let’s have a look, what Antonin Rodet did with his Chardonnay grapes.

Color: White Wine.

Nose: Sweet and fruity. Lychees and hints of peaches. Very fresh and lively. Wow, I always get happy smelling a white wine with a nose like this. It smells sweet and flinty. Chalk even. Also some floral notes like geraniums and it promises a nice acidity. Nice balance too. Very nice and typical Chablis nose. I like my Chardonnay. This nose, compared to the one by Louis Moreau, is cleaner, more elegant and lovely.

Taste: Zesty and acidic (Vitamin C). Very clean, fresh and likeable. I get the chalk from the nose again, but not a lot more. Not very complex, maybe even simple, but also without faults. Appetizing and easy drinkable.

As said above. The nose of Antonin Rodet is better than the one by Louis Moreau, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so it may depend on your mood, which one to choose. Taste wise I guess the Louis Moreau offering was a tad more interesting and had a finish with more meat on its bones, making that one slightly better in my opinion, but still, differences are small and I liked the Antonin Rodet Chablis a lot too. By the way the ABV is 12%.

Points: 84

Domaine Louis Moreau Chablis ‘Domaine de Biéville’ 2011

After the Chardonnays from Languedoc and Chile, now we return to France for the Mother of all Chardonnays, or maybe the Stepmother of all Chardonnays: Chablis! (the mother being Montrachet).

Domaine de Biéville, located in Viviers, was founded in the 70’s by Jean-Jacques Moreau. The Domaine comprises of one piece of 65 ha, and its orientation is south /south-west. It has a mild climate. Today his son Louis with his wife Anna lead the company (it’s also a wine traders).

Domaine de Biéville has great terroir (former Truffel grounds) and orientation, which often makes it as good as a Premier Cru. The grapes for this wine grow on 40 year old vines (vieilles vignes). By the way this Chardonnay has an ABV of 12%. The website of Louis Moreau is full of Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines, so if this Domaine de Biéville is any good, it is probably safe to say that the rest is even better, or so it should…

Domaine Louis Moreau Chablis ´Domaine de Biéville´ 2011Color: White wine

Nose: Fresh citrussy (lemon) and flinty. Slight hint of meat (beef). Typical Chablis, but a bit dirty, and I like that. It the meaty/gravy bit that does that. The more I nose this, the better it gets. Fruity (hints of apricot) and creamy

Taste: Nice acidity and when that rolls of the tongue, again that fabulous flintyness and depth emerge. Even the dirty part from the nose is here. The nose and the taste match up completely, how’s that for balance. The acidity is quite up front in this one, but a very nice touch to this Chablis is that long into the finish some sweetness emerges. The aftertaste is great. Well made.

Nicely balanced Chablis. Nice acids that play the biggest part in this wine, but hiding after that  is some great meaty dirtiness and of course a typical flintiness. No off notes and for fans of Chablis, well this will come as no surprise. Very easily drinkable and not too complex. Since the acids are quite prominent, this wine can age for a few years more. Recommended with fish, crustations and some cheeses.

Points: 85

Merci beaucoup, Richard!