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Paul Nicolle, Chablis “Vieilles Vignes”

Burgundy, France 2018 (750mL)
$32.00
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Paul Nicolle, Chablis “Vieilles Vignes”

When we tasted, hoarded, and sold out of Paul Nicolle’s “Vieilles Vignes” one year ago today, it had us buzzing about how Chablis of all levels, Petit to Grand Cru, provides the best pound-for-pound Burgundy experience on earth. Furthermore, it had us chattering that if there are still any minerality doubters lurking out there, one sip of this 2018 Chablis would serve as the judge, jury, and executioner. We’ve wanted more ever since then, but have been briskly rejected by responses that essentially boiled down to “none in stock, try again later.” We’re thrilled to say later is finally now: As of this writing, the wine has just landed on our shores directly from France and is en route to our warehouse—even I haven’t set eyes on it yet! 
Last year, we labeled this stunning 2018 a “desert-island” wine, a big endorsement, yes, but a necessary one. Nicolle’s wines offer such a pitch-perfect snapshot of place and grape, at such a reasonable price, I can’t help but want to drink them in perpetuity. You really can’t ask for a more complete white wine at this price point: It’s got immense breadth on the palate, chiseled-from-fossils minerality, alluring aromatics, and invigorating freshness. I took a generous helping for my own consumption last year, and it still didn’t prove to be enough. I can guarantee the same mistake won’t be made twice. Grab it while it’s available! 
The Paul Nicolle domaine is based in the village of Fleys, which sits a few kilometers southeast of Chablis proper, not far from the slope containing the region’s string of Grand Cru vineyards. It was begun in 1979 by Robert Nicolle (Paul’s son) and Josette Laroche, who started making wines from just one hectare of vineyard. Over the years, they built up their vineyard holdings to 20 hectares. Today, it’s Robert and Josette’s son, Charly, who runs the show, working in vineyards concentrated around Fleys.

Today’s wine carries the “Vieilles Vignes” moniker, or old vines, which Nicolle farms through the towns of Chablis, Fleys, Chichée, and Béru. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, it spends more than a year in tank aging on its lees, lending it creamy depth to complement its pronounced mineral character. Plus, today’s batch spent an extra year in their cellar before it was released and shipped out to us. The wine has both depth and approachability but amazing tension and minerality as well—as the climate warms, Chablis wines are showing more ripeness and extraction on the palate, without losing the nerve that lends them the ability to age. In terms of its tautness and minerality, it’s reminiscent of greats like Raveneau; it should age a decade-plus with ease.

In the glass, Nicolle’s 2018 is a pale yellow-gold with flecks of green and silver. Scents of yellow apple, lime blossom, stone fruits, lemon curd, white button mushroom, chalk dust, and wet stones carry over to a palate leaning toward medium-plus in body, with that trademark Chablisienne push-pull of ripe fruit and mouth-watering freshness/minerality. This is as good as village-level Chablis gets, and there are many Premier Cru bottlings this wine will eclipse, so frankly, ignore the price tag and treat it like something fancier: Splash it in a decanter 30 minutes before serving in Burgundy stems at 50-55 degrees. Over the course of the next 5-10 years, this will only get better and better, so do consider purchasing in quantity: This wine paired with simply-prepared sole or halibut will take the ‘everyday’ wine/food experience to another level—our raison d’être here at SommSelect. Enjoy!
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceChablis
Soil
Kimmeridgian Limestone
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Chardonnay 100%
Alcohol
12.5
OAK
None
TEMP.
50-55
Glassware
All-Purpose White
Drinking
Now-2025
Decanting
15-30 Minutes
Pairing
Brown Butter Sole w/ Herb Salad

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.

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