2015 Domaine Louis Moreau Chablis AOC, Burgundy, France (Alcohol 12.5%) LCBO Vintages $20.95 (750ml)
This warm/sunny vintage-derived Chablis speaks to the growing season with much more forward fruit than one would usually find in a straight Chablis at this price point. Immediately approachable and accessible, this is certainly a solid entry point for someone unfamiliar with the wines of the region; it’s a gateway-wine, so to speak.
The nose is all about classic Chablisienne apples and pears, with some gentle touches of stone fruit orchard blossom, and a teeny whiff of mouthwateringly ripe nectarine. The palate is pretty generous and mouth-filling for a Chablis, but the region’s trademark firm acidity is definitely present and correct, and there’s a fair bit of mineral floating about in there too. Perhaps a little too giving for Chablis zealots who demand much more austere examples, this is by no means a lesser wine; it’s simply a great example of what can be done with ripe Chardonnay fruit in this region in a style that would find much more acceptance with an audience inexperienced in some of the AOP’s charming eccentricities, and this is a wonderful thing. You won’t be finding any oak on this wine either.
I’ve enjoyed drinking this Chablis on its own, with hors d’oeuvres, and with both lightly poached/herbed poultry and fish.
(Four apples out of a possible five)
Edinburgh-born/Toronto-based Sommelier, consultant, writer, judge, and educator Jamie Drummond is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution… And he does enjoy a bit of Chablis, just like his Grandad… although that was something altogether different.
