A slightly ripe nose is aromatically similar to the Montmains but with the interesting addition of a whiff of orange peel. There is better density and power to the bigger-bodied and vibrant flavors that flash a subtle minerality on the clean, dry and lingering finish that is also youthfully austere but noticeably more complex. Lovely.

Mid lemon yellow. Less tight than Montmains, with a little more flesh on the bones. Especially on the palate and the finish tingles very agreeably as the stones come into focus. There’s a lean and limey backbone. Drink from 2028-2031. Tasted Jun 2025.

Aromas of orange oil, white flowers and a touch of smoky reduction introduce Guillaume Michel’s 2024 Chablis 1er Cru Forêts, a medium- to full-bodied, textural and demonstrative wine that is elegantly muscular and lively, underpinned by mouthwatering acidity and concluding with a long, saline finish. It has turned out nicely in the context of the vintage. Guillaume Michel presides over this 25-hectare estate, with most of the land located in the historic part of Chablis. This estate has long been a reference point for tank-fermented and -matured Chablis, a style that the Michel family helped to popularize in the 1980s. Intense and tensile wines are the calling card here, pure and unadorned in style. Seventy percent of Michel’s holdings are in premier cru and grand cru zones, with the average age of vines being 50 years. Today, seven people work in the vineyards year-round. Organic farming is practiced, except for years with major weather incidents.(KK)