2011 Savary, Chablis Vieilles Vignes, White Burgundy, France.
One of the finest Chardonnay wines for the money in the world, in my humble opinion, and a truly great effort for the vintage, the new Savary old vine Chablis has everything you could want for this grape and place. I’m a huge fan of this wine, I like it better than the pricier Premier Cru wines also produced by Francine and Olivier Savary, I think this Chablis is the cat’s meow with pure fruit, loads of wet stones and steely minerals, chalk and fresh vibrant acidity. Really, I find this bottling near perfection and while it may not reach Raveneau level, it does punch way above it’s weight in terms of depth and quality. The nose is a crushed stones, citrus flower and hazelnuts with a vigorous tension on the palate with lime, lemon, white peach and green apple fruits, hints of honey, saline and spice add to the whole. This polished Chardonnay could easily compete with a fine Puligny and while true to it’s terroir this wine is a bit rounder than most Chablis which is all right by me, as it has plenty of zingy brightness and life, a real beauty no question. Just off the boat, imported by Kermit Lynch, so look for it on shelves soon.
($28 Est.) 93-94 Points, grapelive
