Sarah Marsh MW takes an uncoventional tour of three climats in the Chablis premier cru of Montmains in the company of Isabelle Raveneau—before enjoying a vertical tasting of Raveneau’s flagship cuvée, Montée de Tonnerre.
The scooter was a hefty bit of kit—large and alarmingly powerful. When Isabelle Raveneau suggested scooting around her Chablis vineyards I envisaged a motorised version of a kid’s scooter. During a practice run behind the domaine, the beast leapt forward at speed before I located the breaks. It was a shaky start, but Isabelle reassured me that Bernard Raveneau, who is over 70, had recently enjoyed a ride out. Bernard was clearly amused by our expedition, so there was no backing out. I buckled up my helmet and followed Isabelle towards the left-bank premier cru slope of Montmains where Domaine Raveneau has vines in all three climats—the eponymous Montmains, Butteaux, and Forêts.
First port of call was the Montmains section which lies on a very gentle east-facing slope. It is almost flat at the end nearest the town where it catches the evening sun and we were fortunate to have a glorious evening. “This often gets the wind and ripens later, but is the first of the three wines to be accessible,” explained Isabelle. “It is more aromatic, but less mineral than Forêts.”
Within the collective premier cru of the slope of Montmains, the climat of Montmains is the most exposed. It’s flatter and cooler than Forêts and Butteaux and I find them typically fruity with an earthy
This Article was originally published on World of Fine Wine
