The 2013 Chablis Le Classique comes from purchased fruit and is raised in stainless steel for 7 months. It has a very composed bouquet with scents of apricot and lemon curd, nicely defined with good mineralite coming through. The palate is well-balanced with nicely judged acidity, although the nose deserves more complexity to come through on the finish, and it finishes in slightly anonymous fashion. Not bad, but no classic. Drink now-2016.
The roots of Domaine Pascal Bouchard lie with Andre Tremblay’s estate in La Chapelle-Vaupelteigne and its division between his two daughters in 1979. Joelle, along with her husband Pascal inherited their part and subsequently acquired new parcels. They were joined by their sons, Romain, in 2000 and Damien in 2010. They eschew the use of chemicals and herbicides in the vineyard, and apparently even use a horse to plough the steep parcel of vines Blanchots. Fermentation is natural and the wines are aged for 10 to 12 months in 3- to 5-year-old oak barrels, before transferring them to stainless steel for a further 4 to 5 months. These represented a decent set of recent releases, although nothing caused me to leap out of my chair in excitement, not this time anyway.
Importer: New England Wines & Spirits Inc, West Haven, CT; tel. (203) 923-6397