Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot 1999

Domaine François Raveneau was founded in 1948 in the town of Chablis and remains a small family estate of a little under eight hectares, with vines from Petit Chablis to grand cru. All the grapes are picked by hand, early rather than late to keep their acidity; fermentation is in vats and the wines then age in feuillettes, the small old barrels of Chablis, seven to eight years old, which bring no new-oak flavour. Berry Bros. & Rudd describes the wines as racy and mineral with rich, honeyed fruit, and notes that they need five to ten years in the cellar.