2017 Chablis Terroir de Corgis

Patrick Piuze is the “bad boy” of Chablis. I don’t mean that in a pejorative sense. I am sure he is perfectly behaved at all times. But he conveys a charming sense of rebelliousness, perhaps stemming from his Canadian roots that confer an outsider status I think he enjoys. Let’s face it, his heritage has not prevented him from securing contracts on some choice parcels around Chablis. Sometimes I compare Piuze to Jean-Luc Thunévin in the sense that he is quite content to upset the established order. Piuze is an exemplar of a winemaker who eschews the notion of calling vines his own and instead focuses on establishing long-term relationships and contracts with those who can offer him propitious terroir. In that sense, you could think of his approach not dissimilar to that of Eben Sadie in South Africa. And it seems to work. Piuze has gained a loyal following in countries around the world. As usual we descended down to his barrel cellar that, I am sure, it backs on to that of Vincent Dauvissat, such as their proximity albeit on opposite sides of the road.

“In 2017 we lost around 35% due to frost but we have new terroir,” Patrick explains. “If we didn’t have that we would have lost half the crop. There are a couple of cuvées where we have nothing after 11 days of frost. The worst was the third day when it was -7° Celsius. It just killed the vines – every bud got weaker each day. The rest of the year was healthy, unlike in 2016 when we had everything but oïdium. We started picking on 2 September. I would say I was earlier than most people. I was thinking: why is nobody starting. Am I stupid? I don’t do any analysis but when I tasted the grapes, when I feel warmth on the back palate, I feel that it’s ready to go. We did around 12 days of picking and there was a low SO2 at pressing because the grapes were healthy, just a little to stop any fermenting. It was an easy harvest and we could pick when we wanted. It was like in 2014 – a remarkably un-stressful vintage. I did not do any chaptalization as the acidity is the same as 2014 with the same alcoholic degree, around 11.9° to 12.0° and the same for the pH. We didn’t have to do any correction at all. We just had to lower and extend the pressing a little. I think it [the 2017] might be better than 2012. The vat-room was smelling so good during the fermentation.”

This is a comprehensive portfolio that almost atomizes Chablis into individual vineyard expressions. Piuze is renowned for both cutting deals with owners of propitious vineyards and his obsessive, occasionally maverick approach. He does what he feels is right, even if it contradicts the consensus. His 2017s look like being the best since 2014 with a clutch of outstanding Grand Crus, whilst his “Terroir...” series offers great value-for-money.