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Romain Collet, Chablis Grand Cru, Valmur

Burgundy, France 2012
$65.00
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol
SommSelect

Romain Collet, Chablis Grand Cru, Valmur

I will first start off by saying we had access to less than 100 bottles of this, but I bought it anyways because it is one of the best Grand Crus from Chablis I have had this year.
The wine I’d like to share with you here, reserved for a select few subscribers, is emblematic of our mission at SommSelect—to get the absolute most out of every dollar you spend on wine. We were fortunate to receive a small parcel of 2012 Grand Cru Chablis “Valmur” from a young vigneron named Romain Collet, and to say it has an “extra gear” understates its seriousness. Grand Cru opulence like this is preciously rare, especially at this price point. You want this.
This Valmur is the kind of white a sommelier would proudly trot out to impress one of his wine-savvy regulars (or, given its price, another sommelier). From the first smell and sip, it announces itself as a ‘next-level’ wine; the texture is dense and creamy, opulent even by Grand Cru Chablis standards, its aromas already developing past lemon/lime and oyster shell to include notes of honey, beeswax, and mushroom. It opens up nicely after just a few minutes in the glass, and for all of its luxurious texture you can feel its underlying structure. This will just keep broadening, unfolding, and layering over time.

Plus, it has some geeky street cred: Collet is a well-diffused surname in Chablis, and indeed Romain Collet is the grandson of Jean Collet, whose well-known domaine is Romain’s home base (he makes the wines and manages the 37 hectares of organic vineyards at Domaine Jean Collet, utilizing select parcels from their prime Chablis holdings for his ‘Romain Collet’ label). The Collet’s half-hectare piece of the Grand Cru Valmur is in a section of the vineyard that—atypically—faces northwest, a slightly cooler exposure that enables him to extend hang time. He’s often the last producer to pick, and the physiological maturity of his Valmur fruit is on full display in the 2012.

Romain ferments and ages his Grand Cru wines in used barrels, using only native yeasts. In leaner vintages he employs frequent lees-stirring, but in 2012 he was more hands-off. What little oak influence there is on the wine is expressed as earthy, button-mushroom savor, which shouldn’t be confused with oxidation. Rarely do you encounter Chablis, even Grand Cru Chablis, with this much texture.

You don’t need to decant this wine, but it most definitely improves with time in the glass—and benefits from a slightly warmer (55F or above) serving temperature. If you serve it too cold, the wines true personality will be lost.  I’d suggest drinking one bottle now and losing the other two in the cellar, but you might not be able to lay off. Either way, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Happy Holidays, and thank you again for your support of SommSelect!
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceChablis Grand Cru
Soil
Limestone
Farming
Organic
Blend
Chardonnay
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
Neutral French
TEMP.
55-60
Glassware
Burgundy
Drinking
Now-2035
Decanting
Optional

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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