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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 1989 and 1999 (based on 145 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Domaine William Fèvre Producer website
Kevin Shaffer, a.k.a. Burgschnauzer
William Fevre, the son of an accomplished winemaker, founded Domaine de la Maladiere and bottled his first wines after the 1959 harvest. Over a forty year span, Domaine de la Maladiere slowly grew into the largest owner of grand cru vineyards in the region and it enjoyed an excellent reputation. William was also a dominant personality. When the local political establishment wanted to increase the region’s vineyard area to include sites that that did not possess the important Kimmeridgian soil, William stood out as one of the fiercest and loudest opponents to the expansion. The wines from these new areas, he argued, would not have the classic aromas and flavors that were characteristic of Chablis. Fevre lost the battle, but by voicing his opinion he had become one of the leading figures in the region. In 1998, Fevre sold his estate to the Henriot family of Champagne, who in an odd twist, changed the name to Domaine William Fevre. Henriot had also recently purchased the Beaune negociant Bouchard Pere et Fils and had been responsible for a renaissance at that estate. Several changes were immediately made at Fevre by the Henriot team and the quality of the wines improved. The domaine is now recognized as one of, if not the top, producers in Chablis.
Fevre releases wines under two labels, one from land owned by the domaine and the other from purchased fruit. The two labels are nearly identical, but the estate bottles read “Domaine” in script above “William Fevre”. Several premier crus are produced under the domaine label, including Beauroy (1.12 ha.), Montmains (1.75 ha.), Les Lys (0.99 ha.), Vaillons (2.86 ha.), Fourchaume and Montee de Tonnerre (1.5 ha.). A unique cuvee is bottled the from the lieu-dit Vaulaurent, which is separated from the northern portion of the grand cru Les Preuses by a path. The vineyard is allowed to use the name of the nearby premier cru Fourchaume and is labeled as Fourchaume Vignoble de Vaulaurent. More powerful than a typical Fourchaume, the wine is considered to be a “baby grand cru” by the Fevre team. Additionally, Cote de Lechet and Mont de Mileu are bottled under the negociant label.
15.2 hectares of the domaines 27 hectares are located in grand cru vineyards and the line-up is impressive. Bougros (4.12 ha.), Les Preuses (2.55 ha.), Vaudesir (1.20 ha.), Valmur (1.15 ha.) and Les Clos (4.11 ha.) are all bottled under the domaine label. The only grand cru missing from the estate’s portfolio is Blanchots, but a wine from this vineyard is sold under the negociant arm. The domaine also separates a portion of Bougros as separate cuvee. Clos des Bouguerots (2.11 ha.) is a small parcel located at the bottom of Bougros that is extremely steep. The domaine views this section as a separate vineyard and thus the eighth grand cru of Chablis. More elegant and refined, the Clos des Bouguerots cuvee is a step up from the estate’s regular bottling.
The wines made by William Fevre under the Domaine de la Maladiere label were respected, but not universally loved. New oak barrels were used liberally and the bottled wines reflected this treatment. The new regime reduced the amount of new oak used in the cellar and the wines quickly became more transparent. Didier Seguier is in charge of the winemaking and seeks to produce wines that show their terroir. All of the grapes harvested by the estate are hand-picked and carefully sorted. Some of the wines are fermented in steel vats, others in barrels, but the percentage of new oak is moderate. The wines are intense, clean and precise. William Fevre may no longer be making wine in Chablis, but his presence is still felt through the excellent domaine that bears his name.
THE AGEING POTENTIAL OF WILLIAM FÈVRE WINES
03 Dec 2013
The William Fèvre wine-estate has very rich and varied vineyards among which 60% are classified as Premiers Crus and Grands Crus. These wines offer a large array of nuances and have to be appreciated depending on moods and opportunities. However the right time to taste them is a tricky question because it is intimately linked with the ageing potential, which itself is variable according to the climate of the appellation and the vintage.
Though the Chablis wines tend to be consumed in their youth, they nonetheless show an ability to reveal themselves over 5 to 7 years of cellaring, unveiling more complex aromas while keeping a great freshness.
The Premier Crus like Les Lys and Beauroy will show well over the next 7 years.
For other climates such as Montmains, Vaulorent or even Mont de Milieu which are rich, unctuous and very mineral so that the keeping can go on for 10 to 15 years.
On the other hand one will have to be more patient with Grands Crus which can be kept for at least 10 years for some climates like Vaudésir or Bougros and beyond 15 years for Les Clos or Les Preuses.
Chardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeVaudésir at weinlagen.info
Vaudesir is one of the seven official climats of the Chablis Grand Cru white wine appellation. The vineyard – planted entirely to Chardonnay – sits atop the Grand Cru hill, overlooking the town of Chablis below. Vaudesir Grand Cru wines tend to be softer and more elegant than other Chablis Grand Cru wines, with floral characters rounding out Chablis' iconic minerality.
The vineyard covers 42 acres (17ha) of steep land above the Grenouilles Grand Cru site on the hill, just east of Preuses. The vineyard is shaped like an amphitheatre, and is cut through by a track known as the "Chemin des Vaudesirs", giving it a double orientation. Half of its vines face due south, with the remainder facing southwest.
This topography helps to distinguish Vaudesir from other vineyard sites, as the steep slopes provide some protection from northerly winds and vines instead benefit from good exposure to sunlight. This moderates temperatures in the cool Chablis climate, giving Vaudesir a favorable mesoclimate where grapes can develop phenolic ripeness alongside acidity. This leads to balanced wines with lighter body than some of its more exposed neighbors.
Another crucial factor in the Vaudesir terroir is the soils, which tend to be lighter than in the other Grand Cru climats. Although they are still based on the same Kimmeridgian subsoil that sits beneath the rest of the Grand Cru hill, soils in Vaudesir tend toward clay rather than limestone. The lower proportions of limestone here have led to a wine with a more refined minerality: Vaudesir Grand Cru wines lack the muscularity of Les Clos or Valmur wines.
Vaudesir is home to the La Moutonne vineyard: a six-acre (2.5ha) site that is not officially part of the AOC law, but is often considered to be the eighth Chablis Grand Cru.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBurgundy Les vins de Bourgogne (Bureau interprofessionnel des vins de Bourgogne) (and in English)
Burgundy - The province of eastern France, famous for its red wines produced from Pinot Noir and its whites produced from Chardonnay. (Small of amounts of Gamay and Aligoté are still grown, although these have to be labeled differently.) The most famous part of the region is known as the Cote d'Or (the Golden Slope). It is divided into the Cote de Beaune, south of the town of Beaune (famous principally for its whites), and the Cote de Nuits, North of Beaune (home of the most famous reds). In addition, the Cote Chalonnaise and the Maconnais are important wine growing regions, although historically a clear level (or more) below the Cote d'Or. Also included by some are the regions of Chablis and Auxerrois, farther north.
Burgundy Report | Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne - na stejné téma od Heleny Baker
# 2013 Vintage Notes:
* "2013 is a vintage that 20 years ago would have been a disaster." - Will Lyons
* "low yields and highly variable reds, much better whites." - Bill Nanson
* "Virtually all wines were chaptalised, with a bit of sugar added before fermentation to increase the final alcohol level." - Jancis Robinson
# 2014 Vintage Notes:
"We have not had such splendid harvest weather for many years. This will ensure high quality (fragrant, classy and succulent are words already being used) across the board, up and down the hierarchy and well as consistently from south to north geographically apart from those vineyards ravaged by the hail at the end of June." - Clive Coates
# 2015 Vintage Notes:
"Low yields and warm weather allowed for ample ripeness, small berries and an early harvest. Quality is looking extremely fine, with some people whispering comparisons with the outstanding 2005 vintage. Acid levels in individual wines may be crucial." - Jancis Robinson
# 2017 Vintage Notes:
"Chablis suffered greatly from frost in 2017, resulting in very reduced volumes. As ever, the irony seems to be that what remains is very good quality, as it is in the Côte d’Or. Cooler nights across the region have resulted in higher-than-usual acidity, with good conditions throughout the harvest season allowing for ripe, healthy fruit." - Jancis Robinson
# 2018 Vintage Notes:
"The most successful region for red Burgundy in 2018 was the Côte de Beaune. The weather was ideal in this area, with just enough sunlight and rain to produce perfectly balanced wines naturally." - Vinfolio
Chablis Chablis (Fédération de Défense de l'Appellation Chablis) | Chablis (Burgundy Wines)
2014 Vintage Notes:
"... a hybrid of 2004/2007 and 2010. The stone, citrus and limestone amalgam is exactly what we search for in Chablis as the style harkens to a day in the Cote de Beaune proper (1960's - 1980's) when wine was not meant to be consumed the week it was released, battonage was not used by all and new oak was rarely seen ... the texture is natural and 'of the vintage' not 'of the winemaker' .... Like Sancerre or the Loire in general, 2014 in Chablis is one of those rare years with extract and transparency. It appears to be a vintage for the "neoclassic" ages and those of us intent on cellaring the most terroir-driven (but still powerful) examples of vineyard, site-place and varietal will want to invest (heavily) in the magnetic and electric 2014's." - Jon Rimmerman
2018 Vintage Notes:
"There’s not that razor sharp Chablis acidity in 2018,” says Patrick Piuze. “But there is good definition of place. The dry conditions drove vines to drink deeper down in the soil profile."
https://weinlagen-info.de/#bereich_id=58 Single vineyards on weinlagen-info James Suckling |
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