Placeholder Image
SommSelect

Etienne Boileau, Chablis 1er Cru, “Montée de Tonnerre”

Burgundy / Chablis, France 2015 (750mL)
$40.00
/
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Your cart is empty.
  • In stock, ready to ship
  • Inventory on the way
Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol
SommSelect

Etienne Boileau, Chablis 1er Cru, “Montée de Tonnerre”

Because the world is becoming increasingly aware of what Premier Cru “Montée de Tonnerre” is capable of in both vineyard and bottle, it has become a Grand Cru in everything but name. Perched on the right bank of the Serein River, upstream from the unbroken string of Chablis Grand Crus and a golf shot across a slender ravine from Grand Cru “Blanchots,” it’s one of those head-scratching Burgundy vineyards which, for whatever reason, was denied a top-rank classification.
Still, regardless of rank, sommeliers and Chablis lobbyists tout “Montée de Tonnerre” as one of the elites, slipping this “trade secret” to both fine diners and their Burgundy-loving friends. So, ask yourself: Does an old rank matter if that particular vineyard site is considered among the elite today? I would say no, but we’re more than happy to continue paying the lower Premier Cru price for Grand Cru quality! Domaine Etienne Boileau has delivered for us many times before, and last year we labeled their 2015 Montée de Tonnerre ‘investment grade’ Chablis—this new-release 2016 is too, but it’s also so addictingly drinkable right now; habit-forming, even. One of my favorite wines from legendary Raveneau is “Montée de Tonnerre,” and the same goes for Boileau: This is the pinnacle of Chablis with a bottom-tier price. As Boileau’s fame continues trending upward, quantities are becoming ever-more restricted, so we must set the cap at six bottles today.  
Over the past few years, we’ve been consistently impressed with the wines from Etienne Boileau—not least for the serious value-for-dollar they offer. The domaine, which is alternately known as the Domaine du Chardonnay (they bottle wine under both labels), was created in 1987 by Etienne Boileau, William Nahan, and Christian Simon, who pooled their financial and vineyard resources to create a winemaking operation that now has access to 37 hectares of vines. Among these holdings are nine hectares in Premier Cru sites, including parcels of “Montée de Tonnerre,” “Montmains,” “Vaugiraut,” “Vosgros,” “Vaillons” and “Mont de Milieu”—quite an impressive lineup. 
 
Sharing a similar southwestern aspect as the Grand Cru sites just to its north, “Montée de Tonnerre” is also, of course, rich in the Kimmeridgian limestone and fossilized seashells that give top-tier Chablis its inimitable minerality and laser-beam acidity. For the Montée de Tonnerre bottling, Boileau ferments between 20% and 40% of the wine in used French oak barrels, the rest in stainless steel. Later, the oak- and steel-fermented wines are blended and aged in tank. It is then bottled with a light filter and allowed to rest further before leaving the winery.
 
In the glass, Boileau’s 2016 displays a highly reflective yellow-gold core with brilliant flashes of silver and green throughout. Whereas wines from Grand Cru “Les Clos” can be 250 pound powerlifters—immense, rotund, full of muscle—Boileau’s “Montée de Tonnerre” is a triathlete that will swim the entire length of the Serein River without gasping for breath. It’s not flashy nor overly grandiose, but rather built for longevity; there is a very seductive, slow-building power to it. The nose is reticent at first, but given enough air it comes alive with brilliant bursts of yellow orchard fruit, intensely concentrated oyster shell, lemongrass, and kaffir lime, followed by green peach, citrus oils, salt-preserved lemon, and crushed chalk. This is a tightly coiled Chablis with medium-plus body, persistent freshness, and a thundering mineral finish. A 30-60 minute decant and a 50-55 degree drinking temperature will best reveal the above-mentioned aromatics. The ideal scenario would be to take your six-bottle allocation, drink one or two, and then lose the rest for 5-10 years—it will bring immense joy at each stage of its evolution. Whip up scallops in a lemon-basil sauce for a quick-and-easy—yet perfect—Chablis pairing; it’s an effortless way to impress a group. Cheers!
Placeholder Image
Country
France
Region
Burgundy / Chablis
Sub-Region
FranceMontée de Tonnerre 1er Cru
Soil
Kimmeridgian Limestone
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Chardonnay 100%
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
Partial Used French
TEMP.
50-55
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2030
Decanting
30-60 Minutes
Pairing
Scallops w/ Lemon-Basil Sauce

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

Others We Love