Chablis: Short But Superb*
Wine Enthusiast, February 1997
[No Author Indicated]
The only part of the Burgundy district of France where the crop was not bountiful in the vintage of 1996 was Chablis, where an uneven flowering of the grapevines in June resulted in reduced volume at harvest time. The summer weather, however, was ideal, resulting in extremely healthy grapes free from mildew and rot. Three weeks of cold but very sunny weather in September brought the grapes to superb ripeness for the harvest.
"As expected," said Michel Laroche of Domaine Laroche, a leading Chablis producer, "the harvest volumes were 10 percent lower than normal, but the quality was superlative." Natural sugar levels averaged 12 percent, he said, while acidity levels were high, an unusual combination in the Chablis vineyards. The combination of richness and acidity, he said, "leads us to believe that this vintage will produce particularly concentrated, classic Chablis."
* This article has been reprinted with permission from The Wine Enthusiast Sections have been highlighted by our webmaster for your convenience.
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