Over the last few vintages (2015 and ’16 specifically), the quality of Guy Robin’s wines has been so high that it’s caused a bit of a dilemma around here. That dilemma being: Will we come off as lazy, or somehow “on the take,” if we offer everything they make?
The diversity of our selections is a point of pride, but every time a Guy Robin wine is put in front of me lately, it’s simply too good to pass on (and, based on your responses, you agree). The value-for-dollar is just off the charts, especially in a more balanced vintage like ’16, in which the exceptional depth derived from Robin’s old vines is matched by an invigorating jolt of freshness. The decision to offer today’s 2016 from the celebrated Premier Cru “Vaillons” was instantaneous. A no-brainer. In our recent experience, we’ve encountered very few producers anywhere who pack as much value into a bottle as Guy Robin. Enjoy this one soon, and often, but don’t fret: There’s likely more to come!
The biggest takeaway from our oft-mentioned buying trip to France last March was how good 2016 is, and will be: The wines have richness and accessibility in their youth (like the blockbuster ’15s) but also more nerve and mineral energy. For all the pleasure they offer now, they feel better equipped to age than the 2015s. The Robin wines are already some of the most concentrated examples of Chablis around; what ’16 delivered was not just concentration but sublime focus.
“Vieilles Vignes” is a term with no legal, or ‘official,’ definition, but it is especially meaningful in the case of Guy Robin, an estate known for having some of the greatest ‘heirloom’ vines in all of Chablis. Namesake Guy Robin assembled most of the family’s holdings back in the 1960s, and these included significant stands of ‘pre-phylloxera’ vines—i.e., vineyards that escaped the deadly phylloxera epidemic of the late-1800s. Although the phylloxera ‘louse’—an aphid that destroys the roots of vines—devastated the European wine industry (forcing vignerons to graft vines onto phylloxera-resistant American rootstocks), it didn’t get everybody. Some pockets of Europe were spared, especially spots with sandy and/or volcanic soil, and in Robin’s case, a good 80% of their modern-day vines are still on their “own,” pre-phylloxera rootstock.
Despite this incredible patrimony, however, the Robin wines had fallen into mediocrity; one of their US importers dropped them for a time, but the arrival of fourth-generation Marie-Ange Robin in the early 2000s turned things around. A successful fine art dealer in Paris, she returned home to the family estate and began tending their historic vines more naturally, using the lutte raisonnée approach (essentially organic, except in emergencies). Some of the Robin holdings, which span five Grand Crus and four Premier Crus, are 80+ years old.
“Vaillons” is one of the larger Premier Cru sites in Chablis, spanning more than 100 hectares along a southeast-facing slope on the west side of the Serein River (the cluster of Grand Crus is on the opposite side of the Serein to the northeast). One feature of “Vaillons,” along with many other cru sites in the region, is that it contains many smaller, individually named climats (“vineyard sites”) within it. So, while the label of today’s wine carries the name “Vaillons” only, it is actually sourced from two specific subsections within—one called “Beugnons” and the other named “Mélinots.” Both plots date to the 1950s and are, of course, rich in the chalky, fossil-rich Kimmeridgian limestone of the zone.
Hand-harvested, fermented on indigenous yeasts, and aged just under a year in French oak casks (just 10% of which were new), the 2016 “Vaillons” is, like much of the Guy Robin lineup, somewhat reminiscent of wines from the Côte de Beaune. Whereas a lot of Chablis, even at the Premier and Grand Cru level, is bracing and fiercely mineral at this age, this one has an appealing layer of flesh on its bones. In the glass, it’s a deep straw-gold with platinum and green reflections, with an assertive nose of yellow apple, nectarine, citrus peel, lees, yellow flowers, nori, and crushed oyster shells. It is medium-plus in body and already the texture of silk, although it finishes with a satisfying twang of citrusy acid and crunchy minerals. While it will more than satisfy with about 30-60 minutes of air in a decanter, this will really hit its stride 3-5 years from now and continue drinking beautifully for 10-15 more. Serve it in all-purpose white wine stems at cellar temp (55 degrees) with the lemony, saucy baked chicken dish attached. That will make one super-satisfying dinner at an exceptionally modest price. Enjoy!
