2013 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru

Brocard started harvesting in 2014 on September 15 “with the little appellations,” then waited because the skins were still hard, said winemaker Odile Van der Moere. They made the allowed yields in most parcels, bringing in the fruit with potential alcohol in the 11.8% to 12% range and chaptalizing about 0.5%. Van der Moere describes the young wines as having very good acidity, good material and nice early harmony. “For us, 2012 is exceptional and 2014 is just below it in quality,” she summarized. “We were afraid of the acidity at harvest-time but after the malolactic fermentations the acidity levels are in the moderate 4.2 to 4.3 range. The wines are taut and lemony, but also show finesse.”

Two thousand was another matter. “The vintage was a misery and the wines are difficult to understand,” said Van der Moere. “The grapes needed a long time to develop minerality but we had to pick a bit early to protect what we had against the spreading rot. They will be round, charming and exotic wines for early drinking. They’re not totally ripe and yet they convey a ripeness. It’s really ¬un millésime inconnu in terms of how it will age. But with yields down 40% from normal, the wines have plenty of material.”

Julien Brocard's wines are always supple, forward and built on fruit. Over the last few years Brocard has moved his estate vineyards to biodynamic farming. It will be interesting to see how things develop here. Brocard is young and passionate. It would be great to see him take his family's wines to the next level. Brocard describes 2013 as having less acidity than 2012. Yields were down 30-35% across the range, whereas production in 2012 was down only around 10-15%.

Julien Brocard told me his family picked quickly in 2013 as the grapes were turning, and that the healthy lees have helped them make fresh wines.Grape sugars were in the 12% to 12.5% range and only a few crus were chaptalized; acidity levels reached 4.3 to 4.4 grams per liter.Brocard describes his 2013s as "a denser version of the 2011s:more fruit and very easy to drink."He considers 2012 to be a great vintage here, as it offers an uncanny combination of material, acidity and finesse. (importers include Verity Wine Partners, www.veritywines.com; Chambers & Chambers, www.chamberswines.com)