2011 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru

"It was not an easy vintage,” Didier Séguier confessed when I visited him at their tasting room, conveniently located opposite the Maufoux bistro. “Bud break was at the end of March with just minor frost damage. Flowering in May was regular, and afterward, two months of mildew pressure made it difficult for those who farm organically. It was our first year certified. We lost 10% to 30% depending on the location, but it was beneficial in retrospect as it was such a generous vintage. We produced normal yields in the end. We had regular rain during the season, so the berries could be up to 200 grams compared to 58 grams in 2019. The rain stopped at a good moment - two or three days more and we would have been destroyed by botrytis. We de-leafed from the end of July on the east-facing side of the vine to improve aeration. This was very important. The warm temperatures before picking concentrated the berries and decreased the malic acid. We started the picking on September 7, while others started a week later. It could be difficult to obtain maturity if yields were too high. We only picked in the morning as it was too hot during the first week, then it began to cool down. It is not a classic vintage. But now I see the freshness and mineralité, the wines always improving. Bottling will mostly be done next spring after 18 or 19 months.”

Didier Séguier was on hand as usual to guide me through the wines of William Fèvre. “All the Premier Crus and Grand Crus are matured 30% in barrel after the malolactic in March and then transferred back into stainless steel after around six months, then bottled after another year. I think the 2021s will give more pleasure younger than the 2020. It is more immediate. The sanitary conditions were more difficult in 2021, but similar vintages like 2001 and 2013 are drinking very well now. I’m an optimist.”

I tasted the wines from William Fèvre with head winemaker Didier Séguier, as I have done for more than 20 years now. How time flies! The only change is that the bistro owned by Fèvre was sold to the owners of Le Soufflot in Meursault, and this branch of Maufoux (the other is in Beaune) now has an absolute killer wine list. Anyway, back to the wines. Here, I focused on the 2020 vintage, which is undergoing its barrel maturation. But first, I asked Séguier to summarize the growing season.

“The winter was rainy. We had 500mm during five months, compared to the previous year when it was 200mm. After that, bud break was early in March, and there were 10 nights of frost at the end of the month. Flowering was early, from the middle to the end of May. There was a little bit of coulure and millerandage. It was rainy in May and June – 90mm in June and 70mm in July. August was more clement, and we began picking on August 25, the first domaine in Chablis to start. The yield was not too bad – 25 to 30hl/ha, depending on the location – and the quality of the fruit was good, but we had some berries suffering grillure while others were a bit green. It is something specific to the 2020 vintage and depends on the bunches’ exposure to the sun. Maturity was 12.0° to 12.5–12.8°. The fermentation was normal, not quick. Malo arrived just after alcoholic, and by January it was completed. All the wines are in tank on the lees, waiting for bottling after 15–18 months, around next March. We started organic certification last year, though we have used organic viticulture for 15 years. I think 2020 has good potential. There is concentration and balance. Not high acidity, but there is freshness.”

Naturally, with 78 hectares of vines at your disposal, you have a lot more options than a winemaker dealing with a tiny cuvée. The practice of fermenting in a combination of stainless-steel and used wood has lent the range more consistency than before, though a few cuvées, such as the Beauroy, Vaillons, Fourchaume and Vaudésir, seemed to be swayed by the warm summer more than, say, the excellent Mont de Milieu, Montée de Tonnerre or Valmur.

There really is no better place to get a read on Chablis than Fèvre because the range is so vast. Winemaker Didier Séguier describes 2018 as a sunny vintage. “The key in years like 2018 is to pick early,” he explained. “In the end, 2018 is a ripe year, like 2015 or 2009, but without the excesses of 2003.” Harvest started on September 3. As readers will see from these notes, the 2018s showed quite well. Moreover, I found the wines to be quite expressive of site, which is not the case at every address. The 2017s are the result of a challenging vintage marked by 8-9 days of brutal cold and poor weather during flowering. Séguier adds that the fruit was very clean at harvest. The 2017s are brilliant across the board. Readers will find wines with tons of energy, freshness and verve, all typical of a classic vintage for Chablis.

There really is no better place to get a read on Chablis than Fèvre because the range is so vast. Winemaker Didier Séguier describes 2018 as a sunny vintage. “The key in years like 2018 is to pick early,” he explained. “In the end, 2018 is a ripe year, like 2015 or 2009, but without the excesses of 2003.” Harvest started on September 3. As readers will see from these notes, the 2018s showed quite well. Moreover, I found the wines to be quite expressive of site, which is not the case at every address. The 2017s are the result of a challenging vintage marked by 8-9 days of brutal cold and poor weather during flowering. Séguier adds that the fruit was very clean at harvest. The 2017s are brilliant across the board. Readers will find wines with tons of energy, freshness and verve, all typical of a classic vintage for Chablis.

My relationship with this Chablis stalwart goes back well beyond my writing days, since I used to sell William Fèvre’s wine to the Japanese market in the late 1990s. Fèvre is a major producer that boasts one of the most impressive arrays of Premier and Grand Crus. Didier Séguier has been head winemaker for several years now. Under Séguier guidance, the Domaine veered away from their rather zealous oak regime to a more prudent approach that mixes barrel ageing with stainless steel. Settling down in the tasting room opposite their own popular bistro, I began by asking Didier about the growing season in 2017.

“There were ten nights with frost at the bottom of the top of the slope,” he explains. “We were particularly affected on the Right Bank and less on the Left Bank. We used sprinklers to protect the vines and very efficient electric cables in Vaudésir, which we expanded to Les Preuses starting in 2018. We are the first estate to start working with the electric wires with Long-Depaquit, but we still use candles. After the frost, the weather was good. The summer was not very warm but the quality of the grapes just before the harvest was perfect even if the quantity was 30% to 50% less than normal. The grapes are concentrated with good acidity, similar to 2014. It is a classic vintage with good freshness and density. For us, it is a vintage for ageing, but the harvest date was important because you could obtain some sweetness if you picked late. There was no botrytis on the sorting table and the wines have the freshness and precision they showed then.” These are reliably consistent wines. I have encountered one or two reductive issues with bottles in recent years and therefore they do warrant decanting if possible.

My relationship with this Chablis stalwart goes back well beyond my writing days, since I used to sell William Fèvre’s wine to the Japanese market in the late 1990s. Fèvre is a major producer that boasts one of the most impressive arrays of Premier and Grand Crus. Didier Séguier has been head winemaker for several years now. Under Séguier guidance, the Domaine veered away from their rather zealous oak regime to a more prudent approach that mixes barrel ageing with stainless steel. Settling down in the tasting room opposite their own popular bistro, I began by asking Didier about the growing season in 2017.

“There were ten nights with frost at the bottom of the top of the slope,” he explains. “We were particularly affected on the Right Bank and less on the Left Bank. We used sprinklers to protect the vines and very efficient electric cables in Vaudésir, which we expanded to Les Preuses starting in 2018. We are the first estate to start working with the electric wires with Long-Depaquit, but we still use candles. After the frost, the weather was good. The summer was not very warm but the quality of the grapes just before the harvest was perfect even if the quantity was 30% to 50% less than normal. The grapes are concentrated with good acidity, similar to 2014. It is a classic vintage with good freshness and density. For us, it is a vintage for ageing, but the harvest date was important because you could obtain some sweetness if you picked late. There was no botrytis on the sorting table and the wines have the freshness and precision they showed then.” These are reliably consistent wines. I have encountered one or two reductive issues with bottles in recent years and therefore they do warrant decanting if possible.

As is his habit, director/winemaker Didier Séguier started the harvest early in 2016 (on September 16) to preserve acidity. “Otherwise the wines would have been too soft,” he explained. The rain on September 15 had “unblocked” the maturity and the estate harvested with potential alcohol ranging from 12% to 13% owing to the very low yields (Fèvre made just 40% of a normal year in 2016, and much less in vineyards hit hard by frost and hail). Very little chaptalization was necessary. Séguier told me that acidity levels in the 4 to 4.2 grams-per-liter range are comparable to those of the ‘15s.

Séguier finds the young ‘16s “very pure and delineated, with no deviation. They show reductive shellfish notes and good minerality. And they’re dense and concentrated due to the low crop levels.” In comparison, he went on, the 2015s are fruity, silky wines, not as minerally early as the ‘16s “but the minerality will come with three or four years of aging. The wines are very ripe and the fruit dominates, but I wouldn’t call 2015 an atypical vintage. I prefer 2016 today but I may prefer 2015 later as the minerality comes out.”

As is his habit, director/winemaker Didier Séguier started the harvest early in 2016 (on September 16) to preserve acidity. “Otherwise the wines would have been too soft,” he explained. The rain on September 15 had “unblocked” the maturity and the estate harvested with potential alcohol ranging from 12% to 13% owing to the very low yields (Fèvre made just 40% of a normal year in 2016, and much less in vineyards hit hard by frost and hail). Very little chaptalization was necessary. Séguier told me that acidity levels in the 4 to 4.2 grams-per-liter range are comparable to those of the ‘15s.

Séguier finds the young ‘16s “very pure and delineated, with no deviation. They show reductive shellfish notes and good minerality. And they’re dense and concentrated due to the low crop levels.” In comparison, he went on, the 2015s are fruity, silky wines, not as minerally early as the ‘16s “but the minerality will come with three or four years of aging. The wines are very ripe and the fruit dominates, but I wouldn’t call 2015 an atypical vintage. I prefer 2016 today but I may prefer 2015 later as the minerality comes out.”

Didier Séguier, who has a history of harvesting early, began picking on the Thursday after the hail and heavy rainfall in 2015—the same day he had originally planned to start but not with the same vineyards. Following a hot, dry year with what Séguier described as “no bad weather events,” William Fèvre lost 30% to 50% of its potential production to the hail in Montmain, Forêts, Butteaux, Monteé de Tonnerre, Blanchots and Les Clos, carrying out a strict triage to eliminate damaged grapes. The 2015s remind Séguier of the 2009. “Actually, I first thought of the 2006s but the '15s are fresher, purer wines. They’re not classic like the 2014s but they’re not extreme like the ‘06s and 03s, and they will be very pleasant for consumers to drink young.”

Séguier, who maintains that early harvesting was particularly critical in 2015, believes that these wines have the structure and material to age. Total acidity levels are on the soft side (around 3.8 grams per liter) but pHs are in the healthy 3.15 to 3.25 range, he told me. He's convinced that the estate’s organic farming practices “reinforce the freshness of a hot vintage like 2015.” The fruit was picked with between 12% and 13% potential alcohol and only the lighter wines were chaptalized. The alcoholic fermentations went quickly and the malos finished between January and March, so the wines were racked and assembled in April and May.

Séguier rates 2014 as “un grand millésime de garde--a more concentrated version of 2008 and also like 2010.” The wines were bottled between December and February, with a bit less total sulfur than previously thanks to Fèvre’s use of DIAM corks.

Didier Séguier, who has a history of harvesting early, began picking on the Thursday after the hail and heavy rainfall in 2015—the same day he had originally planned to start but not with the same vineyards. Following a hot, dry year with what Séguier described as “no bad weather events,” William Fèvre lost 30% to 50% of its potential production to the hail in Montmain, Forêts, Butteaux, Monteé de Tonnerre, Blanchots and Les Clos, carrying out a strict triage to eliminate damaged grapes. The 2015s remind Séguier of the 2009. “Actually, I first thought of the 2006s but the '15s are fresher, purer wines. They’re not classic like the 2014s but they’re not extreme like the ‘06s and 03s, and they will be very pleasant for consumers to drink young.”

Séguier, who maintains that early harvesting was particularly critical in 2015, believes that these wines have the structure and material to age. Total acidity levels are on the soft side (around 3.8 grams per liter) but pHs are in the healthy 3.15 to 3.25 range, he told me. He's convinced that the estate’s organic farming practices “reinforce the freshness of a hot vintage like 2015.” The fruit was picked with between 12% and 13% potential alcohol and only the lighter wines were chaptalized. The alcoholic fermentations went quickly and the malos finished between January and March, so the wines were racked and assembled in April and May.

Séguier rates 2014 as “un grand millésime de garde--a more concentrated version of 2008 and also like 2010.” The wines were bottled between December and February, with a bit less total sulfur than previously thanks to Fèvre’s use of DIAM corks.

William Fèvre winemaker Didier Seguir describes 2013 as a year with a very difficult flowering that started late, around June 10 and lasted well over a month. Disease pressure was already high, so Seguir chose to open the canopies in July to allow for as much air circulation as possible. Coulure (shatter) was a big issue because of the cool spring and wet summer. August weather was within normal parameters, but rain returned in September, sparking an outbreak of botrytis. Fèvre is always among the first to pick, so it is hardly surprising to see that the harvest here began on September 26. Yields were around 18-20 hectoliters per hectare for the 1er and Grand Crus, dramatically lower than normal because of the poor climactic conditions. Post malo acidities are in the 4 grams per liter range, which is to say lower than 2012 and around the levels of 2011. I tasted all of the 2013s from tank. As a matter of practice, Seguir likes to blend as late as possible. The 2012s, which I tasted from bottle, largely confirm my very positive impressions of the wines from barrel. Stylistically, 2012 is like 2010, but with more power and richness. The combination of textural density and healthy acidities (higher than 2013) makes for wonderfully complete and well-balanced wines across the board.

This estate, which does not use anti-rot sprays, did a lot of leaf-pulling on the morning-sun side of the vines in order to aerate the clusters and get more sun on the fruit, said head winemaker/director Didier Seguier. The harvest started early here, on September 26, then finished up quickly after the rainy weekend of October 5 and 6, after which "everything rotted in 48 hours," according to Seguier. The wines were racked after the malos but were still on their lees in cuve at the time of my visit. Seguier prefers to keep the gas and maintain freshness, and thus he does not do any lees stirring for fear of losing precision and terroir character. The estate is also trying to maintain purity by picking fruit in 13-kilo cases, which prevent the grapes from being crushed. Seguier described the 2013 crop of wines as "a riper, more concentrated version of 2011." The fruit was picked with potential alcohol between 11.5% and 12.5%--"with no surmaturite"--and the wines were lightly chaptalized. Post-malo acidity levels are in the range of 4 to 4.3 grams per liter.Two thousand twelve, Seguier added, is more like 2010 and 2008, with the crus finishing with healthy acidity in the 4.5 gram-per-liter range. "Although our 2012s are rounder than the 2010s due to better ripening and more summer heat, they are still wines for purists," he added. "There's a lot of dry extract in 2012: the wind concentrated the grapes and thickened the skins." Incidentally, Seguier noted that his use of DIAM corks, which thus far are proving to be very effective, has allowed him to slightly reduce the amount of free sulfur at bottling. Unless otherwise noted, all of the wines reviewed below are estate bottlings. Also recommended: 2013 Petit Chablis (86).

William Fèvre winemaker Didier Seguir describes 2013 as a year with a very difficult flowering that started late, around June 10 and lasted well over a month. Disease pressure was already high, so Seguir chose to open the canopies in July to allow for as much air circulation as possible. Coulure (shatter) was a big issue because of the cool spring and wet summer. August weather was within normal parameters, but rain returned in September, sparking an outbreak of botrytis. Fèvre is always among the first to pick, so it is hardly surprising to see that the harvest here began on September 26. Yields were around 18-20 hectoliters per hectare for the 1er and Grand Crus, dramatically lower than normal because of the poor climactic conditions. Post malo acidities are in the 4 grams per liter range, which is to say lower than 2012 and around the levels of 2011. I tasted all of the 2013s from tank. As a matter of practice, Seguir likes to blend as late as possible. The 2012s, which I tasted from bottle, largely confirm my very positive impressions of the wines from barrel. Stylistically, 2012 is like 2010, but with more power and richness. The combination of textural density and healthy acidities (higher than 2013) makes for wonderfully complete and well-balanced wines across the board.

This estate, which does not use anti-rot sprays, did a lot of leaf-pulling on the morning-sun side of the vines in order to aerate the clusters and get more sun on the fruit, said head winemaker/director Didier Seguier.The harvest started early here, on September 26, then finished up quickly after the rainy weekend of October 5 and 6, after which "everything rotted in 48 hours," according to Seguier.The wines were racked after the malos but were still on their lees in cuve at the time of my visit.Seguier prefers to keep the gas and maintain freshness, and thus he does not do any lees stirring for fear of losing precision and terroir character.The estate is also trying to maintain purity by picking fruit in 13-kilo cases, which prevent the grapes from being crushed.Seguier described the 2013 crop of wines as "a riper, more concentrated version of 2011."The fruit was picked with potential alcohol between 11.5% and 12.5%--"with no surmaturite"--and the wines were lightly chaptalized.Post-malo acidity levels are in the range of 4 to 4.3 grams per liter.Two thousand twelve, Seguier added, is more like 2010 and 2008, with the crus finishing with healthy acidity in the 4.5 gram-per-liter range. "Although our 2012s are rounder than the 2010s due to better ripening and more summer heat, they are still wines for purists," he added."There's a lot of dry extract in 2012:the wind concentrated the grapes and thickened the skins."Incidentally, Seguier noted that his use of DIAM corks, which thus far are proving to be very effective, has allowed him to slightly reduce the amount of free sulfur at bottling.Unless otherwise noted, all of the wines reviewed below are estate bottlings. Also recommended:2013 Petit Chablis (86).

William Fevre winemaker Didier Seguier has an unusually broad view of Chablis because he vinifies fruit from just about every important site in the region. In 2012, the April 17 frost was most damaging to precocious 1er and Grand Cru sites, where yields were lowered anywhere from minimally to dramatically. Later ripening sites were spared, but nature chose to be cruel, as the most significant losses impacted many of the finest vineyards. Hail was also an issue. Yields in the most affected sites were just 18-35 hectoliters per hectare the lowest Seguier has seen. The harvest began on September 12 and ended on October 2, a fairly tight window for the estate. Seguier's preference is to pick on the early side, and few of the wines were lightly chaptalized. The malos were late to finish. Seguier reports that the Fevre 2012s have both more acidity and higher sugars than 2010, with the main difference being that in 2012 ripeness was achieved by heat, while 2010 maturation was more gradual and tempered by the winds of the north. I tasted all of the 2012s from tank. Seguier planned to bottle the 1er Crus from September to December and the the Grand Crus shortly thereafter. Readers will have to be selective with the 2011s, as quality is inconsistent throughout the range. Most of the 2011s will drink well early, and in general this is a vintage to drink before either 2010 or 2012.The 2011s ripened in August, when the days are long and the nights are short, as opposed to September, when the longer cooler nights help preserve acidity.

Didier Seguier, as is his habit, picked early in 2012, beginning on September 12, bringing in fruit with potential alcohol ranging from 12% to 13% (the wines were lightly chaptalized).Yields were in the very low 18 to 30 hectoliters-per-hectare range for the grand crus."The April 21 frost explains the small crop," he told me. "But the early terroirs were much more affected.In the peripheral vineyards we made the normal yields."The alcoholic fermentations went quickly but the malos were late, and some wines had only been racked the week before my visit.According to Seguier, acidity levels in the wines are similar to those of 2010 (around 4.5 grams per liter), and the amount of tartaric acidity is higher than in 2011."Because of the good acidity, you don't feel the sugar and richness so much," he noted.Seguier told me that he is now using no more than 10% oak to vinify his wines, and no new barrels. Also recommended:2012 Chablis Champs Royaux (86).

William Fevre winemaker Didier Seguier has an unusually broad view of Chablis because he vinifies fruit from just about every important site in the region. In 2012, the April 17 frost was most damaging to precocious 1er and Grand Cru sites, where yields were lowered anywhere from minimally to dramatically. Later ripening sites were spared, but nature chose to be cruel, as the most significant losses impacted many of the finest vineyards. Hail was also an issue. Yields in the most affected sites were just 18-35 hectoliters per hectare the lowest Seguier has seen. The harvest began on September 12 and ended on October 2, a fairly tight window for the estate. Seguier's preference is to pick on the early side, and few of the wines were lightly chaptalized. The malos were late to finish. Seguier reports that the Fevre 2012s have both more acidity and higher sugars than 2010, with the main difference being that in 2012 ripeness was achieved by heat, while 2010 maturation was more gradual and tempered by the winds of the north. I tasted all of the 2012s from tank. Seguier planned to bottle the 1er Crus from September to December and the the Grand Crus shortly thereafter. Readers will have to be selective with the 2011s, as quality is inconsistent throughout the range. Most of the 2011s will drink well early, and in general this is a vintage to drink before either 2010 or 2012.The 2011s ripened in August, when the days are long and the nights are short, as opposed to September, when the longer cooler nights help preserve acidity.

Didier Seguir at Fevre was among the first producers to bring in his 2011s. The 2011 harvest at Fevre started on August 31st, the earliest harvest on record with the exception of 2003. Winemaker Didier Seguir was quick to add that 2011 was a precocious year, but not as shockingly hot as 2003. Early April and May were very hot, which led to a very early flowering, but then temperatures moderated in June. Hail at the end of June and early July affected Fourchaume, Vaulorent, Preuses, Vaudesir and Clos, all on the right bank, where production was down 5-30%, which placed yields at 40-50 hectoliters per hectare as opposed to the 50-60 that were obtained on the left bank, where hail was not an issue. Seguir lightly chaptalized some of the wines, and noted that the acidities came in around 4-4.5%, which he describes as moderate (along the lines of 2000 and 2002) and lower than 2008 and 2010. When the Fevre wines are young, they appear to be very tight and in need of cellaring. At the same time, it is hard for me to suggest holding these wines for more than a few years, as I have personally had a lot of issues with premature oxidation with Fevre wines from my own cellar. To be fair, since 2007 all of the wines have been sealed with the Diamant corks which are made from a combination of natural and synthetic materials designed to allow for the gradual exchange of oxygen that is so important for wines to age gracefully with more reliability than standard cork. The 2011 Petit Chablis was bottled at the end of April 2012, followed by the Champs Royaux in May and the Chablis (domaine) in early June. All of the other 2011s were still aging on their less in tank. As has been the custom here for the last few years, Seguir does a fairly short elevage in largely neutral oak that lasts 4-6 months, after which the wines age in tank. Note: the overwhelming majority of the Fevre wines are Domaine Fevre, but there are a few wines in this lineup that are made from purchased fruit. Those wines are identified as (maison) in the wine name. There are two bottlings that are made in both a domaine and maison version, the straight Chablis (I only tasted the domaine bottling) and the Montmains (I tasted both). The 2010 premier crus were bottled after the 2011 vintage, while the grand crus were bottled last December.

As is standard practice here, the 2011 harvest began very early, on August 31, and took a full two weeks, but winemaker Didier Seguier pointed out that even August 31 was already 105 days after the flowering, which is several days longer than the norm. "We wanted to pick grapes that were neither too sharp nor too limp," he told me. Grape sugars were generally in the 11.5% to 12% range; the finished premier crus will be 12.6% or 12.7% and the grand crus 12.7% or 12.8%. Parcels affected by rot were carefully sorted and the team did a longer debourbage to ensure the crisp, pristine style for which this producer is known. All the 2010s were in tank on their fine lees at the time of my visit. Incidentally, Seguier is a major proponent of the 2010s. "It's the most consistent and the best vintage in my 14 years in Chablis," he said.

Didier Seguir at Fevre was among the first producers to bring in his 2011s. The 2011 harvest at Fevre started on August 31st, the earliest harvest on record with the exception of 2003. Winemaker Didier Seguir was quick to add that 2011 was a precocious year, but not as shockingly hot as 2003. Early April and May were very hot, which led to a very early flowering, but then temperatures moderated in June. Hail at the end of June and early July affected Fourchaume, Vaulorent, Preuses, Vaudesir and Clos, all on the right bank, where production was down 5-30%, which placed yields at 40-50 hectoliters per hectare as opposed to the 50-60 that were obtained on the left bank, where hail was not an issue. Seguir lightly chaptalized some of the wines, and noted that the acidities came in around 4-4.5%, which he describes as moderate (along the lines of 2000 and 2002) and lower than 2008 and 2010. When the Fevre wines are young, they appear to be very tight and in need of cellaring. At the same time, it is hard for me to suggest holding these wines for more than a few years, as I have personally had a lot of issues with premature oxidation with Fevre wines from my own cellar. To be fair, since 2007 all of the wines have been sealed with the Diamant corks which are made from a combination of natural and synthetic materials designed to allow for the gradual exchange of oxygen that is so important for wines to age gracefully with more reliability than standard cork. The 2011 Petit Chablis was bottled at the end of April 2012, followed by the Champs Royaux in May and the Chablis (domaine) in early June. All of the other 2011s were still aging on their less in tank. As has been the custom here for the last few years, Seguir does a fairly short elevage in largely neutral oak that lasts 4-6 months, after which the wines age in tank. Note: the overwhelming majority of the Fevre wines are Domaine Fevre, but there are a few wines in this lineup that are made from purchased fruit. Those wines are identified as (maison) in the wine name. There are two bottlings that are made in both a domaine and maison version, the straight Chablis (I only tasted the domaine bottling) and the Montmains (I tasted both). The 2010 premier crus were bottled after the 2011 vintage, while the grand crus were bottled last December.

As is standard practice here, the 2011 harvest began very early, on August 31, and took a full two weeks, but winemaker Didier Seguier pointed out that even August 31 was already 105 days after the flowering, which is several days longer than the norm."We wanted to pick grapes that were neither too sharp nor too limp," he told me.Grape sugars were generally in the 11.5% to 12% range; the finished premier crus will be 12.6% or 12.7% and the grand crus 12.7% or 12.8%.Parcels affected by rot were carefully sorted and the team did a longer debourbage to ensure the crisp, pristine style for which this producer is known.All the 2010s were in tank on their fine lees at the time of my visit.Incidentally, Seguier is a major proponent of the 2010s."It's the most consistent and the best vintage in my 14 years in Chablis," he said.

According to Didier Seguier, the extended flowering in 2010 featured a lot of coulure and millerandage, setting the stage for a loss of up to 40% of the crop (premier cru yields rarely exceeded 40 to 45 hectoliters per hectare, which Seguier described as very low for Chablis). During a hot July, there was little problem with vine disease, but rains at the end of August and in early September brought botrytis pressure. The estate picked during the last ten days of September, bringing in some of its best vineyards before rain began falling on the 24th. Potential alcohol levels ranged from 11% to 12.5% and some chaptalization was done. Seguier describes the wines as "classic, rich and aromatic, with good acid/mineral structure, but not austere." The post-malo wines have acidity in the 4.3 to 4.5 grams-per-liter range, almost as much as in 2008 and 2007. But one does not feel the acidity as much as in those earlier vintages, Seguier noted, because the material was richer in 2010. All the wines were in cuve on their fine lees since late March. Incidentally, William Fevre will use DIAM corks for all of its wines, including grand crus, in 2010.

This is an impressive set of wines from William Fevre and winemaker Didier Seguier. The 2009 harvest began on September 14. Seguier claims the date of harvest has become increasingly important in recent years relative to the past, as warmer temperatures create a narrower window for optimal picking times. All of the wines at Fevre are partially fermented in oak, ranging from 5-10% for the entry-level wines up to 60-70% for the grand crus. Seguier prefers neutral barrels that are on average five years old. In general the entry-level wines are fermented with commercial yeasts, while the 1er and grand crus are fermented with indigenous yeasts. The wines spend four to six months in oak, and are then racked into steel for the completion of their élevage, which lasts about 15 months. The wines are aged on their lees with no bâtonnage throughout the entirety of this time. Approximately 80% of the estate's 50 hectares are farmed biodynamically, including all of the 1er and grand crus. The 2009 and 2010 vintages were not kind to Fevre in terms of production. In 2009, insects with very selective appetites damaged 20+% of the crop, while in 2010 yields were down as much as 50% because of widespread shatter during flowering. As is the case throughout Chablis, the 2009s look to be wines built on fruit that are best-suited for early and mid-term drinking. Unfortunately, I was not able to taste the 2010s, a vintage Seguier describes as more classic, with acidities that are in line with the estate's 2007s and 2008s. Fevre makes both a Domaine range and a Maison range. I have listed the wines separately for maximum clarity.

According to Didier Seguier, the extended flowering in 2010 featured a lot of coulure and millerandage, setting the stage for a loss of up to 40% of the crop (premier cru yields rarely exceeded 40 to 45 hectoliters per hectare, which Seguier described as very low for Chablis). During a hot July, there was little problem with vine disease, but rains at the end of August and in early September brought botrytis pressure. The estate picked during the last ten days of September, bringing in some of its best vineyards before rain began falling on the 24th. Potential alcohol levels ranged from 11% to 12.5% and some chaptalization was done. Seguier describes the wines as "classic, rich and aromatic, with good acid/mineral structure, but not austere." The post-malo wines have acidity in the 4.3 to 4.5 grams-per-liter range, almost as much as in 2008 and 2007. But one does not feel the acidity as much as in those earlier vintages, Seguier noted, because the material was richer in 2010. All the wines were in cuve on their fine lees since late March. Incidentally, William Fevre will use DIAM corks for all of its wines, including grand crus, in 2010.

As in so many vintages here, Fevre harvested early in 2009, beginning on September 14, to preserve freshness and acidity, as well as to avoid aromas of surmaturite. In fact, winemaker Didier Seguier noted, the acid levels in the wines are now in the 3.8 to 4.2 grams-per-liter range, very similar to those of 2002 and 2000, and pHs ranged from 3.15 to 3.3. (In comparison, the 2008s carry pHs in the 3.1 to 3.2 range, with acidity levels in the neighborhood of 4.5 grams.) The 2009 growing season began with an irregular flowering and an attack of caterpillars, which cut yields in many areas, particularly on the right bank of the Serein. Many of Fevre's parcels produced between 30 and 45 hectoliters per hectare, which is a moderate yield considering that so many producers declared the maximum rendements of 54 for grand crus, 58 for premier crus and 60 for village wines. (Henriot, Inc., New York, NY) Also recommended: 2009 Chablis Champs Royaux (85).

As in so many vintages here, Fevre harvested early in 2009, beginning on September 14, to preserve freshness and acidity, as well as to avoid aromas of surmaturite. In fact, winemaker Didier Seguier noted, the acid levels in the wines are now in the 3.8 to 4.2 grams-per-liter range, very similar to those of 2002 and 2000, and pHs ranged from 3.15 to 3.3. (In comparison, the 2008s carry pHs in the 3.1 to 3.2 range, with acidity levels in the neighborhood of 4.5 grams.) The 2009 growing season began with an irregular flowering and an attack of caterpillars, which cut yields in many areas, particularly on the right bank of the Serein. Many of Fevre's parcels produced between 30 and 45 hectoliters per hectare, which is a moderate yield considering that so many producers declared the maximum rendements of 54 for grand crus, 58 for premier crus and 60 for village wines. (Henriot, Inc., New York, NY) Also recommended: 2009 Chablis Champs Royaux (85).

After tasting the 2008s here, it was hard to avoid concluding that William Fevre is approaching the level of the two pillars of the appellation, Raveneau and Dauvissat, although we'll have to wait at least a few more years to see how the wines evolve in bottle. As in past years, William Fevre harvested on the early side in 2008, beginning on September 25. According to winemaker Didier Seguier, the grapes were concentrated by a north wind and came in with potential alcohol between 12% and 13%, requiring very little chaptalization. Acidity levels were roughly equal to those of the previous year and will be between 4.5 and 5 grams per liter in the finished wines, with pHs in the very low 2.95 to 3.0 range, but the wines give an impression of greater roundness than the comparatively brisk '07s. There's also a classic shrimp-shell, iodiney minerality in the 2008s that suggests that these wines will be classics. With just a couple of exceptions, I focused on the Fevre domain bottlings. The malos were late in 2008, and the top wines had been assembled and moved to tanks in April, where they were still resting on their lees. Seguier uses a certain percentage of barriques for his wines until the end of the malos, but very little of it new. The house brings in a lot of one- and two-year-old barrels from Bouchard (also owned by Henriot) and then uses them for as many as 10 to 12 years.