Domaine Francois Raveneau, Chablis Grand Cru, Valmur 2001

Superripe aromas of exotic fruits, spices and wet stone; a bit less pure than the Montee de Tonnerre. Then huge, round and sweet, stuffed with very ripe, peachy fruit. Impressively fat and glyceral in the middle palate, but solid acids give the finish excellent shape and grip, if not quite the cut of the Montee de Tonnerre. Raveneau says this is more minerally than the 2000 version, and then uncorked the earlier wine to demonstrate that it's a bit less noble.

• Reviewer Name: Stephen Tanzer
• Review Date: July 2003