Pascal Bouchard Fourchaume Vieilles Vignes, Chablis Premier Cru, France

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Wood smoke, fusil oils, crushed stone, and elder flower scent Pascal Bouchard’s 2008 Chablis Fourchaume Vieilles Vignes. Hints of huckleberry and citrus rind lend piquancy and sizzle, enhancing the impressive sheer grip on the palate, with pear skin, peach kernel, and fresh almond adding additional allure. This isn’t the most refined of premier crus – a circumstance not uncommon both for its site and grower – but should prove useful and interesting over the next 3-5 years. Pascal Bouchard’s large, north-western Chablis-oriented estate – which I visited this April for the first time in many years – supplements its production with contract fruit. Among Bouchard’s premier crus, only their Beauroy (from purchased grapes) is machine-harvested, and around one-third of their generic Chablis sites are hand-harvested. I have argued and continue to insist that the evidence by no means rules out impressive results via machines, but their relative insignificance at this address is certainly an indication of Bouchard’s seriousness about and willingness to sacrifice in what they believe is the interest of quality.Importers include William Deutsch & Son Ltd., White Plains, NY; tel. (914) 251-9463

Plump, with firm acidity that gives a citric tone. Stony, but not too austere, just lacks a little drive to make it 4-star.