2006 Chablis Chapelot 1er Cru

Bernard Raveneau describes the family's 2006s as "very rich and supple, more like Burgundies to our south." The wines started out a bit like the 2003s, he told me, "but with more freshness and minerality, and a less exotic character." The fermentations were long, and most of the wines finished with about two grams per liter of residual sugar. This will no doubt give them more early personality and appeal than the 2005s here-a crop of wines that Raveneau describes as "more structured and solid, and possibly a vintage with great aging potential." Raveneau compares his 2005s to 2002, but believes they're even richer than the earlier set of wines. Still, he admitted, as he gets older he increasingly prefers wines with a bit more fruit and less obvious structure because they're less tiring to drink. Bernard and brother Jean-Marie buy less than 10% new oak each year.