2018 Domaine Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru "Montée de Tonnerre" (1.5L)

Clear bright colour with a green tint. There is volume here but it is not insistent. This builds beautifully to the back, with a touch of bitters to counterbalance the undoubted ripeness of the grape which is doing the dance of the seven veils. Tasted: May 2019." 91pts Neal Martin: "The 2018 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru has a touch more tropical fruit on the nose compared to the Les Butteaux, offering faint passion fruit, white peach and apricot scents with aeration. Lovely definition. The palate is well balanced with a slight waxiness on the entry, and a little pithy in style. Hints of yellow plum and spices emerge toward a finish that develops an appealing creamy texture with time. Excellent. But personally I prefer the nervosité of the Butteaux.

It was interesting that Maxim chose to show the Montée de Tonnerre ahead of the Butteaux this year, which I took not to be a reflection of what he felt of the relative merits of the two wines in 2018, but rather, that as Butteaux has that parcel of really old, high quality vines in it as well, it should have the place of honor and be served last amongst the premier crus. The 2018 Montée de Tonnerre is a stunning wine in the making, soaring from the glass in a complex blend of lemon, pear, beeswax, chalky minerality, a touch of straw and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, beautifully-balanced and shows off great purity, with a rock solid core, snappy acids and laser-like focus and excellent grip on the very, very long and complex finish.