2017 Domaine Raveneau Chablis Butteaux 1er Cru
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Tasting notes
The 2017 Chablis Butteaux 1er Cru is a deep, powerful wine with a prominent center of stony minerality that gives the wine its distinctive personality. Dried flowers, savory herbs, citrus peel, crushed rocks and white pepper all develop in the glass. The natural power of old vines and a cool micro-climate yield a Chablis of real distinction. The 2017 is a Chablis of extraordinary class and nuance. Inward and chiseled to the core, the Butteaux is a model of classicism. I loved it.
Critic scores
Neal Martin
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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A brilliant wine that numbers among the finest recent renditions of this cuvée, Raveneau's 2017 Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux wafts from the glass with a complex bouquet of lemon oil, green apple, dried white flowers, almond paste and iodine. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, with terrific depth and concentration, racy acids and exquisite textural finesse. Impeccably balanced, this is a strikingly elegant, complete Butteaux that's somewhat reminiscent of the domaine's 2010, though I suspect it will drink well sooner than that wine.
The 2017 Chablis Butteaux 1er Cru perhaps does not quite deliver the same complexity as Raveneau’s other Premier Crus at the moment, but it is more surly and backward in style. The palate is well balanced with a hint of orange rind and quince on the entry, a delicate touch of spice (curry leaf?) on the mid-palate and fine tension towards the focused and quite persistent finish. It actually gets better as it goes along but it is the one Premier Cru that is keeping to itself in barrel.
The 2017 Raveneau Chablis Butteaux 1er Cru is in fine shape. A touch of decanting, which I always do for younger Chablis, really allows the aromas, flavors and textures to shine. The 2017 is in the perfect spot today, as it offers a good deal of complexity yet remains quite vibrant. Citrus confit, marzipan, white pepper and floral overtones show the textural resonance of a fine Chablis with bottle age. Clean, bracing mineral notes start to appear over time. Superb.