2012 Domaine Francois Raveneau, Chablis Premier Cru, Montee de Tonnerre 1x750ml

Vinous 93

Very pale yellow-gold. Very ripe and lower-pitched on the nose than the 2014, conveying a faint hint of evolution along with excellent vibrancy. Hugely concentrated and rather powerful for Montee de Tonnerre, with a texture of liquid silk. Comes across as a bit warmer than the ’14 but its thick texture is nonetheless finer-grained than the ’15. Aromas of pear, minerals, toast and vanilla are complicated by a touch of marzipan. There’s an element of sweetness that may be from the wine’s sheer size and palate feel but this wine is bone-dry. In fact, it’s wonderfully classic considering its concentration and richness. The long finish can’t match that of the 2014 for cut but then not many wines could. (13.03% alcohol; 3.2 pH; 3.96 g/l acidity; from a small crop of just 35 hectoliters per hectare) [Stephen Tanzer, 13/08/2019]

Anticipated maturity: 2019-2035

Robert Parker 93

Served alongside the 2014 vintage, the 2012 Chablis 1er Cru Montee de Tonnerre is also showing very well indeed, offering up a riper bouquet of fresh peach, green apple, beeswax and oyster liquor that’s also framed by a light touch of reduction and reveals a very delicate touch of recently used oak influence. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, broad and satiny, with more amplitude and flesh, with a deep, concentrated core. While it’s balanced by racy acids, this is broader shouldered a more powerful than the 2014 but can’t match the latter’s tension and precision. Jean-Marie Raveneau observed that spring frosts and July hail reduced the crop by some 40% and that the berries were small and concentrated, comparing the wines to the domaine’s superb 1986 vintage. [William Kelley, 03/03/2019]

Anticipated maturity: 2022-2045