At $A55, this is the most expensive white Burgundy so far amongst the 2005s recently tasted by me on Full Pour, and approximately equivalent (with the dollar the way it is) in price to the Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard tasted by Chris the other day. Unlike that wine, this is classified as village-level. We're still playing at the lower end of the price scale as far as these wines are concerned, but at twice the cost of some wines tasted earlier in this series, one could rightly expect a corresponding increase in quality.
A fresh, relatively full nose of round citrus and melon fruit, and a hint of caramel. There are also powdery notes, part floral and part mineral, that add a whole layer of high toned complexity. It's altogether very attractive, though tight and coiled too. Entry is clean and crisp, with a lovely fresh mouthfeel and bright acidity counterbalanced by impressively intense fruit that builds towards the mid-palate. There are some subtle winemaker inputs here (a hint of butterscotch and spice) but it's primarily a fruit-driven wine. The tasty fruit is all about grapefruity citrus flavour and, as the after palate begins, the fruit explodes out of its focused centre to coat the insides of the mouth with surprising, quite pleasing aggressiveness. The effect, combined with the wine's acid structure, is mouthwatering. Nice focus through the finish.
It's a little austere at the moment, but this wine is clearly a good one, with a nice line through the palate and good fruit. I'd love to see this in a little while, when hopefully the acidity will have integrated somewhat and allowed the fruit to flow more liberally.
Domaine Alain Chavy
Price: $A55
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: May 2008
A fresh, relatively full nose of round citrus and melon fruit, and a hint of caramel. There are also powdery notes, part floral and part mineral, that add a whole layer of high toned complexity. It's altogether very attractive, though tight and coiled too. Entry is clean and crisp, with a lovely fresh mouthfeel and bright acidity counterbalanced by impressively intense fruit that builds towards the mid-palate. There are some subtle winemaker inputs here (a hint of butterscotch and spice) but it's primarily a fruit-driven wine. The tasty fruit is all about grapefruity citrus flavour and, as the after palate begins, the fruit explodes out of its focused centre to coat the insides of the mouth with surprising, quite pleasing aggressiveness. The effect, combined with the wine's acid structure, is mouthwatering. Nice focus through the finish.
It's a little austere at the moment, but this wine is clearly a good one, with a nice line through the palate and good fruit. I'd love to see this in a little while, when hopefully the acidity will have integrated somewhat and allowed the fruit to flow more liberally.
Domaine Alain Chavy
Price: $A55
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: May 2008
Leave a comment