Aromatic blend of apple, pear, spring flowers, chalky soil tones and a topnote of beeswax. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely generous on the attack, with a good core and fine backend minerality and grip on the vibrant finish.
Reviews:
- Wine Advocate: The 2015 Chablis 1er Cru Forets has a tightly wound bouquet, perhaps a little resinous compared to other premier crus, with a touch of nutmeg developing with aeration. The palate is very well balanced with a citric twist on the entry—touches of orange zest and clementine leading to a pretty, poised and quite elegant finish. What a beauty this Forêts is becoming.
- James Suckling: Bright, light yellow. Stone and mint aromas are lifted by a topnote of lime blossom. Juicy and slightly dry-edged, with a piquant grapefruit pith flavor braced by strong minerality for the year. Comes across as citrussy and tight, even austere for the vintage, and not giving up much today.
Producer Information
Domaine François Raveneau is a noted producer based in the Burgundy subregion of Chablis, where the small plots of Chardonnay produce some of the appellation’s most sought-after wines. The domaine was founded in 1948, when François Raveneau and his wife combined their families’ vineyard holdings. He was the first of his family to bottle wines made from the grapes from his vineyards – prior to this the grapes had been sold off to other producers. Today the domaine has eight hectares (20 acres) of land spread across three grand cru and six premier cru sites in Chablis. It is run by François’ sons: Bernard and Jean-Marie. Domaine François Raveneau has small plots in grand cru sites Blanchot, Les Clos and Valmur and premier cru sites Montée de Tonnerre, Les Vaillons, Butteaux, Chapelot, Montmains, and Forêt. Most of these sites are planted on southwest-facing valley slopes, which allow for maximum sun exposure and ripening. These vineyards are planted Kimmeridgian clay and limestone soils, which are typical of the region. The vines are on average 30 years old, with those in the Montée de Tonnerre Premier Cru having an average age of 50. The grapes are all harvested by hand and then fermented with indigenous yeasts. This is followed by malolactic fermentation in barrels, and then the wines are aged for an extended period of time. François Raveneau’s wines see at least 12 months in oak but can spend as much as eight years in barrel or feuillette (a small barrel). Only a very small portion of these barrels are new oak, and the wines are fined and only occasionally filtered.
