TN: Olivier Leflaive Chablis 2000

Mark Lipton 22 years ago

With a dinner last night of roasted spiny lobster in a "kung pao" reduction sauce (wonderfully done, in fact) over red and white rice, I ordered a 375 ml bottle of the Leflaive Chablis (very limited white wine selection in 375 ml).

color: golden yellow nose: initially, fairly muted (slightly corked? after deliberation, no), opening up with some air to show lemons and a bit of apple palate: initially, quite buttery and soft (ack! ML in my Chablis!!!) and full bodied, but as we let the wine warm it became crisper and hints of minerality developed. The predominant flavor was lemon, though, and it finished on a slightly bitter note.

Overall, a decent village-level Chablis (no perceptible oak to my relief) from a good year. I would have preferred a slightly more acidic version, and it did seem to be flawed by a little bitterness in the end, but quite enjoyable nonethess and a decent match with the food.

Mark Lipton

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MC 22 years ago

Dear Mark

The 2000 vintage Chablis was an excellent vintage but a few growers left the grapes too long on the vines thus producing wines fruity and full but taking away a little of the typical Chablis flinty stone acidity. The last 5 or 6 vintages in Chablis have been warmer (global warming?)and the growers are coming to terms with this. There are a few like William Fevre who harvest a lot of their grapes earlier then the others to try and keep this famous mineral character.

I have trouble ordering half bottles these days as I have had a lot of problem with them in the past. They are often well advanced for the vintage. We have done some tastings between the same wine bottle in 1500ml, 750ml and

375ml. We have noted differences after 12 months with the 375ml bottles ageing a lot quicker then the others. They must be correctly stored to have any chance of ageing a number of years.

Marc

"Mark Lipton" a écrit dans le message de news: snipped-for-privacy@eudrup.ude...

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Mark Lipton 22 years ago

Interesting. I got my first taste of Chablis (GC, no less!) in the '85 vintage, and for better or worse that has become my internal standard.

It is generally agreed that 375s age faster than normal format (and by extension, large format age slower). My decision to get the Chablis was made in part on this basis: even a village-level Chablis should still be alive 4 years on IMO, even in a 375 -- and this wine was most certainly alive.

Mark Lipton

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