2007 Domaine Vrignaud Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume Vieilles Vignes

Burghound

• By Allen Meadows
  October 2009, Issue #36, (See more on Burghound...)

  (Domaine Vrignaud Chablis Fourchaume Vieilles Vignes 1er 1er Cru White) Subscribe to see review text.

• By Allen Meadows
  4th Quarter, 2008, Issue #32, (See more on Burghound...)

  (Domaine Vrignaud Chablis Fourchaume Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru White) Subscribe to see review text.

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  4/11/2010, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (FOURCHAUME Vieilles Vignes VRIGNAUD) Chablis 1er Dear Friends, On a lovely Sunday afternoon, a welcome confirmation came through and I'm passing it on to you... This was the most popular white Burgundy we offered in 2008 with so many re-order requests over the last year that a bursting "just in case we get more" file has developed for it. I'm not sure how to divvy up the allocation in a fair manner (it is relatively meager) so I'm going to send it out this afternoon to give everyone a chance at a maximum of 12 bottles - we can't do more than 12. Niki will do her best to allocate but please be patient (thank you). Domaine Vrignaud is parting with this wine (their signature bottling) from the last of their library stock so please give a collective "thank you" to Guillaume Vrignaud - the proprietor. As far as white Burgundy is concerned (or any Chardonnay for that matter), this wine sums up why the epicenter for the grape is now firmly in Chablis. Not only do you have value compared to the Cote d'Or (or anywhere else at the top rung), but you have a crystal-fresh expression of site-place, climate, vintage and varietal - exactly as nature intended (Vrignaud is organically produced). Priced between a 1er and a grand cru, this wine represents grand cru depth at a fraction of the cost. Here we go... VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEDED as a steal of deal in old-vine, organic white Burgundy: 2007 Domaine Vrignaud Chablis Fourchaume "Vieilles Vignes" 1er (BH91) (this is not the regular Fourchaume - we offered that a few years ago - this is the limited Vieilles Vignes bottling - it is almost impossible to find outside of Chablis - you'll have to go back to the 2004 vintage for price comparisons but that vintage is not in the same realm as the classic expression of 2007 and it is 20% cheaper; compare at $40-50+ for the 2007) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Burg8110

RJonWine.com

• By Richard Jennings
  11/12/2009, (See more on RJonWine.com...) 91 points

  (Domaine Vrignaud Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume Vieilles Vignes) Light canary yellow color; lemon, cream nose; tight, tart lemon, mineral, citrus palate; medium-plus finish 91+ pts.

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  12/18/2008, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (VV Fourchaume VRIGNAUD) Wine of the Year Dear Friends, While it can be tiring to constantly read "deal of the year" this and "deal of the year" that, only once per year do I designate a single wine that stands out above the rest - not for its eye-popping score or famous name but simply because it is the finest effort of the year. I do not pick old vintages of Bordeaux, Burgundy or wine you can read about anywhere - I choose the newest release that moved me to select it without any conscious decision on my part. Domaine Vrignaud's 2007 Fourchaume Vielles Vignes deserves my vote as the best wine of 2008 - it personifies everything I look for at the very highest level: exemplary quality, value, commitment to natural methods and that special something that elevates it above the rest. With this wine, we have all four plus a bonus - Guillaume Vrignaud just happens to be one of the most humble and deserving young vintners in all of Europe. His work in the vineyard over the last decade (restoring it to greatness) has finally paid off for him in 2007 and (as supporters of this winery for a number of years) I cannot put into words how gratifying it is for me (as well as Guillaume) to see the fruit of the adage "hard work pays off young man" come to fruition. He discussed this with Allen Meadows as well and it is obvious that he is not only proud of his achievements but that 2007 is truly his coming out party - my praise will only stoke that flame. When told that his best foot forward was my Wine of the Year for 2008, we decided to work out a special price that would reward our customers but also reward Guillaume with a wide range of support from collectors that are not familiar with his efforts. Considering the final price we've established, I believe this also qualifies for one of our finest bargains of the year as well. Keep in mind, this is Guillaume's best wine from a great year and demand for it is very high around the world - he did not need to do this (telling about what type of person he is). From one of the few truly classic vintages for Chablis since the late 1980s, this is a vintner that literally slept in his portion of Fourchaume to watch the vines grow. Vrignaud has arguably the most enviable parcel of old-vine Fourchaume of any domaine and it is as close to Grand Cru as you can get and still be considered a 1er. The 2007 Vielles Vignes is why I chase this elusive dragon - it is a sheer mass of mineral soaked citric extractive that seems to be chiseled with a diamond cutter from the hillsides above Chablis. It is supremely rich but still piquant, palate staining but somehow elegant - it is long and layered with an overall sense of harmony, grace and feminity that sets it apart from nearly every other 1er in 2007. This wine has that special something that draws the taster back again and again and each sip is different than the last. If you are into wine of terroir and white Burgundy in general, Vrignaud's Fourchaume Vielles Vignes receives my nod as 2008 Wine of the Year: Taking price/value/performance into account, this wine is as good as any 2007 Chablis I've tasted (including what is still in Raveneau's contingent of 2007 barrels - when Raveneau's 2007 Foret is $80-100, you know something is out of skew in the wine-world). Even compared to commercially available 1er's like Fevre at $35-40 (or even $50), this certainly speaks for itself. The ultimate Burgundy irony is that many generic 2007 Bourgogne Blanc's about to hit the market (from the likes of Henri Boillot and others) will be $25-35. Even though quantities are less than I would like, I will open this up to requests for 24/person - I do not anticipate allocations of more than 6-12/person but you can ask for up to 24 and if we have any remaining, we will re-allocate. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ONE SHIPMENT ONLY at this price - we cannot obtain a second parcel of this (it's already fully allocated/sold out at the winery) This price is only valid until Friday December 19th at 6:00pm Pacific or until we run out (whichever is sooner): 2007 Domaine Vrignaud Chablis 1er Fourchaume "Vielles Vignes" (BH91-93) (This wine is usually priced just a hair below the Grand Cru level and approximately $10 more than the regular Fourchaume - you can check pricing on Vrignaud's regular Fourchaume bottling in 2005 and 2006 to get an idea of how good of a price this is for the Vielles Vignes) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Burg8688