Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Premier Cru Quintessence de l'Aval du Serein

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The 2006 Chablis Premier Cru Quintessence de l’Aval du Serein unites fruit from either side of the river Serein at the north of Chablis, principally Fouchaume and Beauroy, but extending to Cote de Lechet and Vaillons. Spiced pineapple and pink grapefruit inform a formidably dense, richly ripe, but somewhat astringent (not merely zesty and chalky) palate. Paired with the right dishes over the next several years, this could already be interesting, but my suspicion is that it brings into play a bit too much of the borderline over-ripe, slightly rustic character possessed by some of this year’s fruit from Fourchaume. It had been in bottle fewer than two weeks on the occasion of my tasting, so it’s possible that there will have been some short-term improvement. Since my visit, Quebecois cellarmaster Patrick Piuze, who arrived here in 2005 from Verget, has been replaced by Nadine Gublin of Domaine Jacques Prieure. A significant portion of the vast Brocard estate is now being farmed biodynamically. Piuze, like many vintners this year, favored racking his young wines off their lees earlier than usual with the intention of avoiding any heaviness. I did not by any means taste all of the enormous range of wines crafted at this address, and including several different labels. Brocard bottled from 2006 the first commercial quantities of three premier cru cuvees under the name “Quintessence,” each representing a broad range of sites that precludes “single vineyard” status. (I place that expression in quotes, since the names of many of the best-known premier crus by law already serve as collective or alternate names for certain nearby crus.) The blends are largely determined as juice, subject to some later fine-tuning.Imported by: Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400