Raveneau Dinner (Young and Mid-Aged Wines)

It is easy to say that Raveneau is the best producer in Chablis, but it is nights like tonight that really make it easy to understand why we say that. Eighteen bottles, with one really flawed, none oxidized. Wines mostly from 1997-2005, and the consistent perspective that most of the wines will continue to improve with more cellar time. Group knew that everything was from Raveneau, but not the exact wines of what was in each flight, jsut that each flight was either a horizontal or vertical. Les Nomades did a sensational job with the menu, which I thought was one of the best I have had at this restaurant and mostly paired wonderfully with the wines.

• 1996 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  There is no doubt this showcases Bollinger's bready, yeasty and slightly oxidative character, but the wine's power and ripe fruit provide a great counterweight that makes this particularly attractive to me. Lots of apple and lemon everywhere, this is a long and very intense Champagne. i generally prefer my Bollinger on the younger side before the breadiness takes over everything else, but this 1996 (bought at release and store perfectly since) is maintaining its freshness.

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• 1996 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  Consistent with other recent bottles. This is slowly starting to mature, showing lots of rich and powerful orchard fruit. Long and dense, not as much subtlety and nuance today vs how much I really adored this wine when tasted multiple times around 2006-2008.

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• 2004 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Forêt 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Tasted blind in Raveneau Forets flight. Lots of apple aromas and flavors with very good depth and slightly sweet spice. Elegance and good textures comes through from middle to finish, but still a bit firm right now. Better in another few years.

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• 2005 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Forêt 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Tasted blind in Raveneau Forets flight. Biggest and most dense of the three vintages in the flight, but least complex and nuanced for now. Needs more time in cellar.

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• 2007 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Forêt 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Served blind at Raveneau dinner, in what turned out to be Forets 2004-2007 flight. Reductive to start and by far the most backward of the flight. Peach and lemon curd started emerging with more air, more on palate vs nose. Some rough edges right now, i think this needs lots more cellar time.

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• 1997 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Served blind at Raveneau dinner, in what turned out be mid-aged MdT flight (1997-2000). Very different vs other times I've had this wine, but this was a perfectly stored bottle. Lots of ripe apple with lemon custard. Rounded and forward, but enough structure to hold its own, particularly with acidity and minerality that came through near finish. Very surprised when this was unveiled as from 1997.

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• 1999 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Served blind at Raveneau dinner, in what turned out to be mid-aged MdT flight (1997-2000). A very well stored bottle, this was fresher than other bottles I've tasted over the past few years. Lots of lemon and lime with subtle spice. Very long, expanding finish with effusive minerality.

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• 2000 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  This is the rare Raveneau with which I have had problems. Corked. Again.

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• 2002 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Forêt 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Tasted blind at Raveneau dinner, in what turned out to be 2002 1er Cru flight. The most sturdy of the flight, with powerful fruit, just modest subtlety. Expanding finish, bodes well for the future.

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• 2002 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Tasted blind at Raveneau dinner, in what turned out to be 2002 1er Cru flight. The most accessible of the flight, probably the one that has been drinking best young as well. Good fruit to start, starting to mature, with moderate finesse and length.

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• 2002 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Monts Mains 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Tasted blind at Raveneau dinner, in what turned out to be 2002 1er Cru flight. Lots of ripe green and yellow apple with some toasted walnut. Ever-so-slightly backward to start, this opened up over an hour+ and got longer and more interesting. Very good density at the end of the evening, this turned out to be the group favorite of the flight as well.

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• 1996 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Tasted blind at Raveneau dinner, in what turned out to be Valmur 1996-1999 vertical. Ripe apple and lemon curd with spice hints. Fruit driven with moderate structure. Very good now.

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• 1997 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Tasted blind at Raveneau dinner, in what turned out to be Valmur 1996-1999 vertical. Rich, ripe apple and pear, classically Chablis-like with focused minerality, even if perhaps slightly less acidity than typical. Great now, another surprisingly great 1997.

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• 1999 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Tasted blind at Raveneau dinner, in what turned out to be Valmur 1996-1999 vertical. This was one of my major surprises of the evening because I have rarely found 1999 Chablis to be this good, not thinking it at the same level of the equivalent white from Cote de Beaune. But this Valmur was the wine inf the flight and in tonight's "top 5." Very good concentration showing lots of orchard fruit. Perhaps not very nuanced, but very long and expanding, with a 1-minute finish. Perfect balance.

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• 2002 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 96 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Served blind at Raveneau dinner, in what turned out to be 2002 Grand Cru flight. I immediately thought this was les Clos, with its unique understated power and precise, chiseled character. The prototype for great Chablis.

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• 2002 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Tasted blind at Raveneau dinner, in what turned out to be a 2002 Grand Cru flight. While the Clos in the next glass was powerful but understated, this was overtly powerful, with intense concentration and minerality. I don't have the experience to differentiate Valmur from Blanchots (some day....) but this was clearly a blockbuster just hitting its stride.

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• 2002 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Not undrinkable, but tired, perhaps heat damaged?

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• 2002 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Tasted blind at our Raveneau dinner, in what turned out to be the young Tonnerre flight (2002-2005). Very elegant at every level with lots of apple and pear on nose and palate, along with some subtle lemon peel hints. Entering its peak window, showing great balance. One tiny notch behind the 2004 for my favorite in the flight.

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• 2004 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Tasted blind at Raveneau dinner, in what turned out to be Tonnerre 2002-2005 vertical. My favorite of the flight by a tiny margin, this showed a great cross-section of fresh yellow and green apples with lots pf depth, power and nuance. Very fresh, this is just entering its peak drinking window and should provide lots of pleasure for well over a decade.

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• 2005 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Tasted blind in flight of younger Raveneau Montée de Tonnerre (2002-2005). Very rich and ripe with lots of power, but hasn't yet developed the nuance I always find in mid-aged or mature Thunder Mountain. Slightly less minerality or lemon character than i normally find in Chablis, but I'm confident this emerge as a classic Raveneau in another 5-10+ years.

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