Burgundy 2016 – D

Lovely lime and yoghurt flavours – classic and concentrated with lingering dairy character on the finish. Very nicely done – delivers all the Chablis style with a touch of stony character too. (RH)

Sweeter fruit than their Les Lys, and perhaps not quite as precise as a result. Fleshy and rich with a long, perfumed finish. A good example of fuller Chablis. (RH)

More restrained than their Les Lys and Côte de Léchet, with a restrained lemon and apple fruit and a finish that emphasises flinty flavours over fruit. (RH)

Fairly closed nose, but the palate has rich tropical fruit and full body. No oak influence, but a tasty dairy character on the finish. Not as overt as many grands crus can be, but should age well. (RH)

Bottled. Finely dusty citrus. Bone dry and chalky, classic, with a nice chalky texture on the finish. Mouth-watering and tight but not terribly concentrated. (JH)

Bottled. A little more intense on the nose, more citrus, than the village Chablis. Chalky and dry but with more depth of fruit and greater persistence with a grainy texture. (JH)

60-year-old vines, northern-facing. Bottled.
Brisk and cedary on the nose. Lime fruited, stony. Bone, bone dry and lean but not thin. Sinewy. Mouth-watering. (JH)

60-year-old vines, east-facing. Bottled.
Smells a little richer and riper on the nose than the Lys. Cedary lime and green fruits plus all that benchmark Chablis dusty/stony character. Intense citrus fruit, severe in its freshness but balanced by the greater fruit depth here. Creamy aftertaste. (JH)

‘Right bank and thus a little more opulent', says Dampt. Fermented in a 16-hl concrete egg, which gives some oxygenation and natural equivalent of bâtonnage thanks to the shape. Bottled.
There's definitely a more chewy texture here, a breadth in the mouth, in addition to the precision of citrus fruit. Tight, mouth-watering but balanced by that texture. Very long. (JH)

‘Right bank and thus a little more opulent', explains Dampt. Bottled.
Complex aroma that intertwines dusty Chablis character, lemon and apple fruit and a sense of precision, which is evident on the palate. There's a creaminess too and a savoury/mealy lees richness. Fuller in the mouth than the Vaillons. (JH)

Unoaked, bottled. Intense cedar-citrus aroma and a fine dusty/mineral edge. Lovely chalky texture and excellent freshness. Taut, pure and mouth-watering length and just a slight grainy texture on the finish, which increases the length. GV (JH)

Unoaked, bottled. This smells a little more creamy/leesy than the Vaillons but still with cedary freshness and citrus fruit. One of those wines that is such a pleasure to inhale that you almost don't want to put it in your mouth. Fuller and deeper in the mouth too with that richer, broader texture, but still supremely fresh and zesty. Very long. (JH)

Unoaked, bottled. Lost half their crop here – the lower part of the vineyard was totally frosted.
Lovely fruit here, lemon and clementine. Less herbal but still a fine stony quality. Taut and precise on the palate. More austere than I expected after the aroma but all in balance. Perhaps a little less intensity than the Lys? (JH)

An experiment for first time in this vintage, fermented in 350-litre barrels (hence the name), none new. No bâtonnage, bottled. Fermentation took three months (2017s still fermenting mid January). Barrels were two years old and from his friend Marc Bachelet.
Gentle oak notes – spice and sweet lemon. A touch of creamy oatmeal but it does not cover the fine, citrus freshness. Deep, creamy and still wonderfully fresh and full of energy. Persistent and pure even with the complexity of the oak. (JH)

Fermented in 228-litre barrels, none new. No bâtonnage. Bottled.
Smells rich, spicy and creamy and it is really powerful on the palate. More spice and more obvious oak than in the Côte de Léchet 350. Direct and piercing but quite muscular around that framework. A powerful wine without loss of finesse or freshness. (JH)

Refined peppery nose, delicate and distinctive. Nicely chalky. Then on the palate a lovely blend of creamy generosity and tight citrus. Elegance and a long though delicate finish. (JH)

This smells a little riper than the Meursault Clos du Domaine. Really sweet lemon fruit with a light note of oatmeal from the oak. Almost chewy in texture but rounded and with a savoury quality on the back palate adding complexity. Impressive depth and length. (JH)

Bought-in fruit but he does not distinguish on the label – he’s been buying from this vineyard for many years. Bottled.
More creamy and mealy (oak?) on the nose than the Meursault Clos Richemont. Precise herby citrus. Tight, finely spiced and a lovely dry texture giving a gripping but attractive, chalky finish. Very good. (JH)

Monopole. More cedar here, perhaps more new oak? More savoury. Gorgeous combination of very crisp lemon and grapefruit and that full-bodied lees texture that spreads across the palate. Mouth-wateringly fresh but satisfyingly deep at the same time. (JH)

Monopole. Bottled. On the Volnay side.
Strongly stony/mineral nose, almost a Chablis-esque dustiness. On the palate, a creamy citrus depth and breadth so you know you are not in Chablis. Refined and persistent, an almost salty freshness on the finish, making you want the next sip. (JH)

Cask sample. The most expressive and open of the whites tasted so far at the Howard Ripley tasting, though it should still age well. Lovely creamy oak/lees richness round bright citrus. The merest hint of struck match but mostly it’s cool, creamy citrus with a long, bone-dry finish. (JH)

Tank sample. A touch more herbal than the Perrières, more cedary. The same creamy texture and length and perhaps just a little less intensity in the middle. (JH)

Tank sample. There's a sweetness to the citrus here that verges on almost-ripe apricot but there's also a counterpoint of savoury oak. Super-fresh, leesy/creamy texture and overall a nice, stony, dry finish. Smart wine, persistent too. (JH)

Bottled. Intense cedar/citrus aroma with a touch of oak spice/oatmeal, hinting at concentration. On the palate, super-creamy and quite dense. Complete, fresh and persistent. (JH)

Barrel sample. Deep greenish yellow. Quite a funky nose, bordering, by no means unpleasantly, on cidery. I like this wine! Lots of personality and depth with real minerally interest and good fruit/acid balance. Masses of personality. Long.

Bottled. Dusty but quite tart and intense citrus aroma, almost more lime than lemon. Creamy texture subdues the crisp citrus. Overall a lovely balance of mineral/stony and tangy fruit, with impressive concentration. (JH)

Big and muscular. Not refined but chewy and youthful.

Cool, restrained and chalky. Not the most communicative Chablis 2016. Lots to chew on.

Bottled. Intense again and tangy but a light herbal edge to the citrus here as well as that stony minerality. Impressive intensity and length allied to perfect freshness. Impressive, benchmark Chablis grand cru. (JH)

Dense and exciting and cool. Very restrained and elegant. Great depth of flavour. Long and cool with great density.