Domaine William Févre is one of the most important estates in Chablis and is the largest holder of grand cru vineyards in the appellation, with no less than 16 hectares (and a further 12 hectares of premier cru).
Current winemaker Didier Séguier was installed in 1998 and soon established both himself and the domaine’s wines at the top. New oak was toned down, work in the vineyard became assiduous and the majority of the domaines wines are farmed biodymanically. The domaine is a relative rarity in that few producers of this size make wine of such impeccable quality.
The grand cru vineyard of Bougros lies at the north-western end of the grand cru block. It faces south-west, catching the best of the afternoon sun. It produces what is probably the richest of the Chablis grand crus, “big, fat, soft and round” writes Jasper Morris MW, though with no shortage of Chablis tension.
William Kelley describes the 2017 as “full-bodied, deep and fleshy, with excellent concentration, racy acids and chalky structuring extract”, whilst Allen Meadows writes “excellent mid-palate concentration to the big, very rich and concentrated flavors that display a very round and suave mouth feel”. Both critics score it a solid 93 points and, at knocking on ten years old, this is a wine coming into its prime.
Bottled under DIAM cork - so no fears of oxidisation - this is a well-reviewed grand cru white Burgundy, from a top producer, just coming into its drinking window, at just over £50 per bottle in bond. Not a bad deal at all. Our stock has just shipped from the UK agent and is ready to go.
A cool and ripe nose features notes of pear and apple that possess background nuances of iodine and seashell. There is excellent mid-palate concentration to the big, very rich and concentrated flavors that display a very round and suave mouth feel, all wrapped in a powerful, dry and slightly rustic finale. This muscular and robust effort delivers sneaky good length and while it needs to develop more depth, it has the potential aging curve to do so.
I was unduly conservative with my assessment of Fèvre's 2017 Chablis Grand Cru Bougros, as this bottle was showing very well indeed, unfurling in the glass with aromas of white flowers, fresh peach, Meyer lemon and crushed chalk. It's full-bodied, deep and fleshy, with excellent concentration, racy acids and chalky structuring extract, concluding with a precise finish. While this Bougros is still quite demonstrative, it is showing more complexity and tension after another six months in bottle and is well worth seeking out.
Aromas of crushed stones and oyster shell here with a fresh, lemon and yellow-grapefruit edge. The palate has a very taut and composed feel with really assertive acidity, combined with such juicy and fleshy fruit. The result is long and delicious! Drink or hold.
Bougros is often a bit generous and blousy in style for my tastes (or at least for my perceptions of how a proper young grand cru Chablis should present itself!),but the 2017 from William Fèvre has all of the cut, sizzle and reserve I could ever hope for! The bouquet is pure, complex and very classy, offering up scents of pear, lime blossoms, a complex base of chalky minerality and a nice touch of youthful smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, precise and very, very mineral in profile, with a superb core of fruit, great focus and balance, snappy acids and a long, laser-like and nascently complex finish. A truly great example of Bougros. (Drink between 2023-2060)
