The only way to top this morning's perennial best seller Chablis is to offer its elder sibling from the soaring Premier Cru of “Montée de Tonnerre.” With a rough translation meaning “Thunder Mountain,” you know that this is powerful, impactful terroir. And since this is Domaine Guy Robin you also know that Marie-Ange is working with a prime parcel of very old vines that are growing mostly on their own rootstock. The depth and complexity is amped up with some barrel aging, but the pure, chalky, oyster shell minerals are what ultimately shine through and keep you coming back for more. This is a Premier Cru that can go toe to toe with the top Grand Crus, don’t miss it.
Every year, we are the lucky beneficiaries of Guy Robin’s foresight: Back in the 1960s, he assembled a spectacular collection of vineyard plots in Chablis, including parcels in five Grand Crus and four Premier Crus. Later, he resisted the urge to replant those vineyards with higher-yielding clones of Chardonnay (as many others did), and now his daughter, Marie-Ange Robin, is blessed with perhaps the richest trove of old vines in the region. Furthermore, Guy Robin’s shrewd vineyard acquisitions also included significant stands of vines on their original rootstock!
Montée de Tonnerre is, in the minds of many experts, an “honorary” Grand Cru, i.e. as close as Premier Crus get to that top tier. The site shares similar expositions with Chablis’ famed cluster of Grand Crus, with Grand Cru “Blanchots” literally situated across a slender ravine. Montée de Tonnerre wraps around a hillside and is traditionally broken up into three smaller lieux-dits: “Pied d’Aloup” (at the top of the slope, facing east); “Chapelot” (more south-facing); and “Côte de Brechain” (the western slopes). Unsurprisingly, the Robins have 40-60-year-old vines in all three sections, and they blend this vinous trifecta together to offer a panoramic view.
All grapes are harvested by hand and whisked away to the cellar for a gentle pressing that’s followed by 24 hours of settling. The juice then spontaneously ferments and matures in French barrels, 10% new, for one year which always lends an extra textural gear. With 15-30 minutes in a decanter, this struts a powerful mineral core that stretches broadly and deeply alongside an energetic cast of plush fruit. But the real magic for Robin’s “Thunder Mountain” generally doesn’t start until around year three or four, and from there it keeps building. This 2022 is a great vintage, and this stunning Premier Cru shows it off with aplomb. There are loads of beautiful, orchard-fruit-drenched texture on the mid-palate but the finish sizzles and dominates with crushed chalk, wet stone, and oyster shell. This is the type of crystalline, perfectly structured Chablis that’ll make someone a lifetime believer/follower. Enjoy!
