There is always room for another classy Chablis around here, and this one has all the right stuff. The 2018 vintage has been an interesting one for white Burgundies in general. There was plenty of ripe fruit like 2015, a vintage where the wines generally suffered a lack of acidity and focus. But unlike 2015, you can’t make sweeping generalizations about 2018s. Sure we have run across some of those. But there are also many that have just barely enough acidity to hold them together and, because they do, are enormously pleasurable to drink, if a little atypical.
The Domaine de la Meuliere is different yet again. You would describe it as a slightly riper version of ‘classic’ Chablis, with all of the traditional trapping of green apple and citrus fruit foiled succinctly by a more restrained version of the chalky, flinty salinity that makes Chablis what it is. The slightly more tender palate feel makes this an ideal example to serve folks who aren’t as experienced with the genre, yet there is plenty to love for hardcore Chablis fans like us.
This Laroche family (there are others) has been producing in Chablis from their 24-hectare property since 1780. Claude Laroche was the one that got the inspiration to create a domaine in 1984. Now sons Nicolas and Vincent are running the show, updating the prior seven generations’ knowledge with more modern takes on winemaking. The soils of the vineyard are classic Kimmerigeon with vines averaging 25 years of age.
The grapes are harvested by hand, sorted, and done completely in stainless steel where the wine subsequently rests for nine months. This is our first ‘dance’ with Meuliere, but the delicacy, purity and authenticity of this wine compelled us to add it to the lineup, and the relative tenderness of the 2018 vintage gives it a broader appeal while still being true to type.