Chablis Butteaux, Domaine François Raveneau 2014

There is excellent freshness and complexity to the layered combination of mineral reduction, pear, green apple, white flower and quinine water that could be from nowhere else but Chablis. There is equally good freshness and verve to the big-bodied, muscular and powerful flavors that possess plenty of sappy dry extract that coats the palate while buffering the impressively long, lemony, chiseled and mildly austere finish. While this is still quite backwards, my sense is that it may come around slightly sooner than I originally envisioned and I have shortened my initial suggested drinking window accordingly. Lovely juice.

The 2014 Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux is a brilliant young wine, offering up a classy bouquet of minty green apple, salty oystershells, lemon oil, wet stones and subtle white flowers. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, ample but controlled, with a stunning alliance of elegantly glossy texture and tangy acidity. Structurally, the wine is quite tight-knit and firm at the core, with exceptional depth, though such is its balance and harmony that it's deceptively drinkable today. The true fireworks, however, will be reserved for those with the patience to cellar this Chablis for another 6 or 7 years. A strong case could be made that the 2014 is the finest Raveneau Butteaux in a decade. Drink Date 2024 - 2040