2013 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru

Like a number of his colleagues in Chablis, estate manager Matthieu Mangenot noted the very narrow window for harvesting ripe, reasonably healthy fruit in 2013."We picked during the first ten days of October," he told me, "as the maturity came very late, and the grapes quickly changed color following the rains on October 5 and 6."Potential alcohol levels were sound (typically between 12.2% and 13%, although the Moutonne was 13.8%), and Mangenot described the young '13s as "in the category of 2012 and 2010, with a good combination of acidity and richness."July and August were hot but a cooling-down at the end of August protected the acidity, unlike in 2009, when acidity levels plunged during the same period.Grape sugars were actually slightly lower here in 2012 than in '13--in the 12% to 12.5% range--and the wines were lightly chaptalized.But Mangenot reported that the earlier vintage brought "the best fruit I've vinified to date, with no sorting needed."His first harvest here was 2007. Also recommended:2013 Chablis (85-86).