2013 Chablis Saint Martin

Laroche makes a wide range of wines from some of the top sites in Chablis. The estate wines are sold under Domaine Laroche, while the negociant wines are labeled simply Laroche. For the sake of clarity, I have listed both sets of wines separately. Readers should note that wines from some vineyards are bottled under both labels, so it pays to be careful as to which wines are being offered in the market. I tasted a wide range of 2012s and 2013s with winemaker Gregory Viennois and his team on my last visit. The 2012 harvest started on September 24 and ended on October 8. Bouguerots, Côte de Lechet and Vaudevey were among the first parcels to be harvested. By comparison, the 2013 harvest started on October 1 and ended on the 10th, which is to say late and compressed. Viennois adds that the last phase of ripening happened quickly, as the vines were carrying low crop loads, so the choice of picking date was critical. Overall, the 2013s have slightly higher acidities than the 2012s at Laroche, which is the inverse of what I found virtually elsewhere. As always, Laroche excels with wines built on texture. All of the 1er and Grand Crus are raised in oak, which gives the wines much of their shape. Incidentally, 2012 is the last vintage Laroche bottled under screwcap, going forward all of the 1er and Grand Crus will be bottled under cork.