William Fèvre - Chablis Grand Cru Valmur Domaine 2018

Didier Séguier, who has been in charge since the estate was acquired by Bouchard Père et Fils of Beaune nearly a quarter of a century ago, has significantly improved the quality of the wines since then. While the vineyard holdings are undoubtedly the finest in the entire Chablis region—both in Premier Crus and Grands Crus—it is the meticulous and rigorous work in the vineyard and in the cellar that allows the winemakers to extract the full essence of the minerality characteristic of Chablis’s Kimmeridgian limestone. These wines are often enjoyable when young but age impeccably over time.

This wine comes from two south- and southeast-facing plots in the highest part of the Grand Cru and tends to produce rather austere wines, even in vintages like 2018. This is a wine for Chablis purists—tight and very crisp, with impressive concentration, bite, and length on the palate, along with a skillful integration of 40% new oak. The dry extract lends it additional structure.

The 2018 Chablis Grand Cru Valmur is one of the most powerful and robust wines in the lineup, offering notes of pear, citrus oil, oyster shells, beeswax, and white flowers. Full-bodied, deep, and multi-layered, with a textured attack, racy acidity, and a long, mineral finish, it should prove to be one of the most enduring wines Fèvre offers this year.

 

Owned by the Henriot Group, this estate is the largest owner of Chablis grands crus, with more than fifteen hectares. Its vast vineyard and range of exceptional terroirs are brought to their fullest potential through meticulous management: tilling the soil, hand-harvesting at the optimal time, and regulating yields. Passionate about his vineyards, Didier Seguier, who has led the estate since 1998, produces pure, well-defined, and crisp Chablis wines, using organic methods (certification pending) and even biodynamic practices for the Premier Crus and Grands Crus. With the exception of the Petit Chablis, winemaking and aging are skillfully divided for each cuvée between barrels—never new—and stainless-steel tanks. Eschewing any distinctive “signature,” the style captivates through its respect for the terroir and the expression of minerality, which have been better preserved since the estate gradually switched the entire range to Diam’s corks between 2005 and 2010. The transition to organic farming is underway.

The 2018 Chablis Valmur Grand Cru has a lovely, open bouquet with subtle notes of wild peach and orange pulp. It is well-defined and displays well-integrated oak. The palate is well-balanced with a fine, taut, and fresh acidity. It is one of the most briny wines in the tasting, with superb length on the finish. This wine has class and character. Tasted blind during the Burgfest 2018 white wine tasting.

What a beautiful white wine, with multiple layers of delicate, interwoven fruit and acidity, resulting in a wine that is both serious and subtle. It is medium-bodied to full-bodied, with a creamy texture and a savory finish. Truly intriguing and stimulating. Drink now or save for later.