2003 Chablis Beauroy 1er Cru

Not surprisingly in light of recent practice, William Fevre was the first major Chablis producer to start harvesting in 2003, beginning on August 25. Director Bernard Hervet told me that the grand crus were not acidified for the fermentations, but he held out the possibility that some of these cuvees might be adjusted later on. William Fevre owns two sorting tables, which the team used in 2003 to eliminate the 5% to 10% of the grapes that were grilled by the sun, mostly from vines facing due south. The grand crus here are vinified in barrel, while the premier crus are made half in barrel and half in vat (the Montee de Tonnerre Mont Milieu and Vaulorent get a somewhat higher percentage of barrel fermentation). But virtually no new oak was used to vinify the 2003s. Many of the wines then spend five or six months in barrel before being racked and returned to stainless steel in the spring. Interestingly, Hervet says the estate lost much more fruit from frost than from heat in 2003, as the water-dispersal system used here to handle frost was rendered ineffective by wind during the coldest nights of early April. I asked Hervet whether he preferred the estate's 2002s to its 2000s. He responded that vintage 2000 was the best vintage to date for the grand crus, "although many people in the village don't agree. But I prefer the village wines and the premier crus in vintage 2002. "(Clicquot Inc. , New York NY) Also tasted: 2003 Chablis *.