William Fèvre - Chablis Grand Cru Valmur Domaine 2018

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Having been in charge since the estate was acquired by Bouchard Père et Fils of Beaune nearly a quarter of a century ago, Didier Séguier has significantly improved the quality of the wines since then. While the vineyard holdings are undoubtedly the finest in all of Chablis, encompassing both Premier Crus and Grands Crus, it is the meticulous and rigorous work in both the vineyard and the cellar that allows for the full expression of the minerality unique to Chablis’s Kimmeridgian limestone. These wines are typically enjoyable when young but age impeccably.

Decanter

About the wine:

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: taut and very crisp, with impressive concentration, bite, and length on the palate, and a skillful integration of 40% new oak. The dry extract lends it additional structure.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

The 2018 Chablis Grand Cru Valmur is one of the most powerful and robust wines in the range, 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.

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

Owned by the Henriot Group, this estate is the largest owner of Grand Cru vineyards in Chablis, with over fifteen hectares. Its extensive vineyards and diverse range of exceptional terroirs are brought to their fullest potential through meticulous management: soil tillage, hand-harvesting at the optimal time, and yield control. Passionate about his vines, 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 and Grand Crus. With the exception of the Petit Chablis, vinification and aging are skillfully divided for each cuvée between barrels—never new—and stainless steel tanks. Eschewing any signature style, the wines captivate through their 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.

Wine Spectator

Burghound

Jancis Robinson

Vinous

About the wine:

The 2018 Chablis Valmur Grand Cru offers 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 mineral-driven wines in the tasting, with superb length on the finish. This wine has class and pedigree. Tasted blind during the Burgfest 2018 white wine tasting.

James Suckling

About the wine:

What a beautiful white wine, with multiple layers of delicate, interwoven fruit and acidity, resulting in a glass 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.

Tim Atkin