The 2010 St. Bris is Sauvignon Gris from the neighboring village of St. Bris in Auxerre, the only region in France planted with this variety. The de Moors pick their 60 year-old Sauvignon vines on the late side, resulting in a wine that boasts considerable textural richness and finesse. Mint, sweet herbs, yellow stone fruits and licorice are some of the aromas and flavors that wrap around the voluptuous, classy finish. This compelling wine is bursting at the seams with personality and character. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2016. (Not yet released)My visit to this tiny estate in Courgis was a highlight of my recent stay in Chablis. These fabulous wines from Olivier and Alice de Moor are all the more remarkable because the de Moors own no premier or grand cru land. Through diligent, painstaking work Alice and Oliver de Moor have elevated their wines well above their humble pedigrees, showing just how much can be done when the focus is purely on growing the best fruit possible. Biodynamic farming and artisan winemaking are the rule here. The wines are aged 10-12 months in oak, see one racking and are bottled with no fining or filtration. Simply put, these are some of the most pure, striking wines readers will come across in Chablis, where so many wines are quite industrial. I was blown away by what I tasted. Readers should do whatever they can to taste these fine, handcrafted wines. The world could use a few more vignerons like the de Moors. I have listed the wines from Le Vendangeur Masque, the de Moor’s negociant line, separately.Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334-8191

The De Moors’ 2008 Saint-Bris retains an unusually palpable amount of dissolved CO2 considering that it was filtered, a precaution made necessary by its having stopped with five grams of residual sugar (and even that at nearly 14% alcohol). But Olivier De Moor says he was happy to conserve the gas to enhance the wine’s sense of vivacity, though heaven knows it would have had lots of liveliness even without the spritz! Lime, pineapple, caraway, gooseberry, and white currant combine on a tart, refreshing palate, with high acidity guaranteeing that the residual sugar is rendered undetectable. This radiates a veritably vibratory energy and finishes with focused and emphatic, if somewhat tart and bitter, intensity. Like past Saint-Bris Sauvignons from this address – of which it is hardly the first to be so outrageously distinctive and strong-willed – this should be fascinating to follow over the next 3-4 years if not beyond. The high acids and sheer concentration of Alice and Olivier De Moor’s 2008 raw material came close to getting the better of a couple of their wines, making for a collection qualitatively more heterogeneous than usual, but culminating in the best Chablis I can recall from this address (which I have been visiting off and on for more than 15 years).Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334-8191

Illustrating the outstanding potential for Sauvignon in this sector and vintage, the De Moor 2007 Saint-Bris also reflects the geological underpinnings of its entire appellation, in growing on largely Portlandian limestone and a minority of Kimmeridgian. Penetratingly pungent, high-toned aromas of peppermint, pear and apple distillates, pine resin, elder flower, caraway, and grapefruit zest rise from the glass and their proxies alternate in kaleidoscopic fashion on a palate of prickly intensity. Almost riotous in its energy and face-slapping in its finishing intensity, no one will accuse this wine of subtlety or refinement! “Maybe I’m crazy,” says Olivier De Moor, “but I want to get the Sauvignon ripe, while retaining the acidity.” He certainly succeeded here, and 13.5% alcohol (the highest of any wine in his 2007 collection) by no means inhibits the sense of energy and consummate invigoration delivered by this exceptionally complex Saint-Bris. One other interesting point: De Moor has been steadily replacing dead vines in his 60-year-old Sauvignon Blanc vineyard with the variant known as Fie Gris, so in fact some 10% of this finished wine is not Sauvignon Blanc.Beginning their harvest in mid-September, the De Moors made two passes on nearly every parcel to adapt to irregular ripening that was a legacy of hail. The upshot was thus another labor-intensive and low-yielding vintage, but there the similarities with 2006 end, as the character of the De Moor 2007s is strikingly different; and they are more consistently excellent.Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334-8191

This wine was recommended, but no tasting note was given.