I’m a fan of this label, having enjoyed recent vintages (2005, 2006) very much. Though Chavy allows a clear view into vintage conditions, there’s a delicate power that unites these wines; detail above impact, complexity above density. This 2007 is clearly the most forward of the last three vintages, a real surprise considering growing conditions, which generally led to whites rather higher in acidity than usual.

The nose retains En Remilly’s fundamentally minerally, high toned profile, with sparks of flint, wet wool and florals. Fruit, however, is broader than usual, showing hints of yellow peach where before there was only white. There’s less citrus than usual, and less talc, stonefruit flesh taking its place. To be clear, this remains a restrained, tight aroma profile, but certainly looser than in previous years.

The palate is far less tightly structured than the 2006 in particular, and even in its first year after retail release the peach is flowing freely. What’s wonderful about this wine, though, is the clash of site and vintage conditions, plus perhaps a touch more oxidative handling in the winery. This is what happens when a wine of fundamentally mineral character goes wild; it’s full of savoury fruit and sweet prickliness, of blunt faces and angular asides. Citrus, rather than invoking delicate grapefruit or lemon, tilts towards juicy orange. Do I prefer it in its more restrained, delicate guise? Perhaps, but this is fascinating too, in the same way a favourite artist’s least achieved work is still valuable for being an expression of something fundamentally worthy. And this is far from a bad wine; indeed, it’s constantly improving in the glass, gaining complexity and almost justifying its portly middle.

For enthusiasts (and the fools who love them).

Domaine Alain Chavy
Price: $A50
Closure: Cork
Source: Retail

Such is the allure of the great vineyards of Burgundy that those sites with any connection, however tenuous, to vines of renown are almost relentlessly flogged as such. Who am I to buck the trend? En Remilly, the source of this wine, is usually mentioned in the same breath as Le Montrachet, as it is on the same slope above its more famous neighbour. Does proximity to greatness mean anything in this hottest of terroir hotbeds?

The nose certainly promises good things. It’s soft, delicate, and rounded, with floral notes dominating a background of subtle cashew oak, lovely flint and even some banana. Smelling this wine is like sniffing a well-planned garden just coming into bloom. It has the same freshness and intermingled complexity of aroma.

The palate takes these elements and amplifies them, while retaining a similar balance. The entry displays fresh, fine acidity that lingers on the tip of the tongue, then leads the way to the mid-palate ahead of delicate yet persistent fruit flavour. There’s still tight focus as we reach the wine’s mid-point, but the flavour profile by now shows its full spectrum of elements. Lightfooted citrus fruit and flinty minerality are the key ingredients, and play off each other beautifully. There’s also some creaminess and lightly nutty oak in the background. The fruit is clingy but not cloying, thanks to the freshness of the acidity, and shows great definition. Structure relaxes a little out as it moves through the after palate, and spreads the same clingy fruit throughout the mouth ahead of an impressively long finish.

The wine continued to improve and gain weight all evening, and I think reached its peak at a relatively warm temperature (just lightly chilled), so don’t be afraid to serve it even warmer than you might other Chardonnays. It’s not a blockbuster by any means, as it showcases delicacy and balance above power. But it’s pure and balanced and deliciously intense. A lovely style and one of my favourites in the recent pack of white Burgundies tasted at Full Pour. Good value.

Domaine Alain Chavy
Price: $A44
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: June 2008