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Crafted by a top estate described as “the most underrated of Chablis’s larger domaines” by the Wine Advocate’s William Kelley, Burgundy lovers and collectors seeking value will find these highly rated Chablis selections from Louis Michel a welcome opportunity to acquire a range of age worthy, terroir-driven white Burgundies at value pricing that’s perfect for mixing a case.
Established in the region since 1850, the Michel family made the decision over four decades ago to stop using barrels for wine making in favor of stainless-steel tanks, creating the purest expression of each vineyard without the intervention of oak and becoming “the reference point for tank-fermented and matured Chablis” according to the Wine Advocate’s William Kelley. Sourced from vineyards spanning 25 hectares in the region’s top terroirs, sixth generation winemaker Guillaume Gicqueau-Michel manages each of the estate’s organically farmed parcels individually to achieve optimal ripeness, fermenting with natural yeasts and allowing the wines to rest on the lees for extended periods to develop a rich, creamy, texture that balances the mineral-driven acidity. Sourced from six hectares of vines planted in a mixture of Kimmeridgian and Portlandian subsoils with fossilized shells over 150 million years old, the entry level 90 pt. 2020 Louis Michel Chablis offers beautifully aromatic fresh, vibrant fruit with a refreshing, saline-tinged finish and is priced to enjoy often. Sourced from 45 year old vines overlooking the town of Chablis, the multidimensional 93 pt. 2020 Louis Michel Sechets 1er Cru offers concentrated, layered fruit with “racy acids and a long, mineral finish” according to Kelley, while the old vine 93 pt. 2020 Louis Michel Butteaux Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru offers “sleek, intense” flavors according to Allen Meadows of Burghound “with fine development potential,” the clay and Kimmeridgian-rich soils of the Butteaux slopes yielding high minerality. From one of Chablis’s most prestigious 1er Crus, the exuberantly aromatic 94 pt. 2021 Louis Michel Montee de Tonnerre 1er Cru balances rich, ripe fruit and refreshing minerality, described as “beautifully clean and fresh” by Decanter’s Andy Howard. From a half hectare high on the hillside of one of Chablis’s smallest Grand Crus, the deeply textured 94 pt. 2020 Louis Michel Grenouilles Grand Cru is “full-bodied, rich and layered” according to the Wine Advocate’s Kelley while the elegant 94 pt. 2020 Louis Michel Vaudesir Grand Cru boasts “a racy spine of acidity and a long, precise finish,” the cooler, northwest facing vineyard preserving freshness. Described as “the richest and broadest” of the Grand Crus by Kelley, the powerful 94 pt. 2020 Louis Michel Les Clos Grand Cru offers intensely aromatic fruit with fine minerality derived from its rocky, Kimmeridgian soils, and along with the other Grand Cru selections is built to evolve over several decades.
From a region offering “affordable alternatives to Cote de Beaune whites” according to Neal Martin of Vinous, these highly rated selections from top producer Louis Michel are pure and unique expressions of their vineyard origins, ready to enjoy over the next decade and beyond, among the best values not only in Chablis but in all of Burgundy. |