2023 Domaine Francois Raveneau Chablis Premier Cru Montee de Tonnerre 1.5L [D95][TA95][WA94-95][JG94][BH92-94][V92-94]

Producer: Domaine Francois Reveneau 
Region: Chablis, Burgundy, France 
Varietal: Chardonnay 
Year: 2023    

Decanter, 95 Points 

"Apricot and quince aromas with an exotic edge, suggestions of coconut milk and spice, the whole suffused with an intense, chalky minerality. The texture is concentrated and powerful, but the wine never overwhelms and there is a silky elegance that makes it seem gentle instead of substantial. The grapes are from a blend over 3ha of low-yielding old vines in the lieux-dits of Chapelot and Pied d'Aloup." 

Tim Atkin, 95 Points 

"The Raveneaus have a lot of Montée de Tonnerre, so this tends to be a dazzling cuvée. Not only are the vines between 30 and 70 years old, but it is also better to make a larger volume of wine than a small one. All this aside, this is a ravishing wine with piquant minerality from nose to tail, exhilarating acidic tension and a filigree texture. Savory leesiness, warm oatmeal and Comice pear core press long into the finish." 

Wine Advocate, 94-95 Points 

"One of the calling cards of the estate and the largest cuvée by volume, Raveneau’s 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre is composed of two-thirds lieu-dit Chapelot and one-third lieu-dit Pied d’Aloup, uniting the broader, more textural personality of the former with the taut, mineral profile of the latter. Soaring from the glass with a bouquet of white flowers, orange zest, pear and crisp stone fruit, it’s medium to full-bodied, ample yet tensile and racy, concluding with a long, expansive finish. When it comes to Forêt, I tend to prefer Dauvissat’s interpretation, but it’s difficult to find a finer Montée de Tonnerre than the one produced by Raveneau." 

John Gilman, 94 Points 

"Isabelle Raveneau’s 2023 Montée de Tonnerre is a stunning wine in the making. While still very young, the wine is already beautifully expressive aromatically, offering up scents of pear, lemon, a touch of tangerine, a complex foundation of chalky minerality, citrus zest, beeswax and a touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, complex and shows of superb depth of fruit at the core, with fine mineral undertow and grip, a superb girdle of acidity, laser-like precision and a very long, youthful and seamlessly balanced finish. The backend lift here is outstanding. (Drink between 2030-2070)" 

Burghound, 92-94 Points 

"Note: from several parcels totaling 3 ha with two-thirds of it in Chapelot and the remainder in Pied d'Aloup. A more elegant, if also more restrained, nose somewhat grudgingly reveals its aromas of cool, pure and airy floral, mineral reduction, seashore, crushed fennel and quinine hints. There is a really lovely texture to the medium-bodied flavors that aren't quite as powerful as those of the Butteaux but are noticeably finer with excellent length on the balanced finale. As is often the case when this is young, it needs to develop better depth but that should certainly come with enough time in bottled. Excellent and particularly so for the vintage.*Burghound Sweet Spot Outstanding!*" 

Vinous, 92-94 Points 

"The 2023 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru has the most stony nose of Raveneau's Premier Crus. It shows sea cave and oyster shell notes, with very fine delineation. The palate is well balanced with orange pith and a touch of grapefruit. Fine depth, a little waxy in texture, building nicely towards a leesy finish. There's a completeness here that I admire, what you might describe as a sterling Montée de Tonnerre." 

Alcohol: 13% 

*Discounts do not apply to items like this one in the Fine & Rare category. Price and availability in store may vary.