Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot AOC 2018

The wine shows itself in bright lemon yellow with discreet white-golden reflexes clear and shining in the glass.

Devil too!

If a wine is so closed with its first aroma that it simply does not reveal anything in the unswilled glass, believe me, that is a very good sign.

This long distance runner from the Grand Cru Blanchot site demands a decanter, time and an appropriately sized wine glass with sheer cool arrogance.

With a little time, albeit against one's will, aromas reveal themselves that allow fruit salad to meet herbal spice. Yellow pear, vegetable papaya and green melon unite with dill, basil and a quiet breath of lavender. Expressive, yet delicate, the aromas of almond slivers sesame and the lingering scent of white peppercorns stand out and form an exciting, as well as coherent overall picture that anchors itself in the nose, rummaging in the glass.

Oui, monsieur!

So wine that has been grown and allowed tastes like that instead of made.

On the palate, the 2018 Blanchot Chablis Grand Cru from Domaine de l'Enclos demonstrates Romain and Damien Bouchard's immense dexterity. All the aromas on the nose are joined by an obligingly friendly ripe yellow apple that was left for a moment after the initial bite, barely noticeably browning yet grinning along incredibly juicy. A subtle hint of crystalline ripeness that is whirled through the air by gripping acidity like a trapeze artist.

Compact and with fine, tightly woven phenolics, as well as sparse, chalky minerality, this Blanchot is a profoundly honest and purist wine.