The 2009 Chablis Les Preuses bursts from the glass with a racy melange of ripe, tropical fruit, sweet spices and oak. The Preuses was vinified and aged in equal parts 600-liter tonneaux and cement eggs. The oak gives the wine an extra dimension of volume and shape, but also flattens out many of the nuances. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. I tasted a wide range of wines at Domaine Brocard with oenologist Nadine Gublin, including the wines of Brocard's other Chablis properties, which are reviewed separately. In 2009, the harvest began in mid-September. The wines were vinified with ambient yeasts in steel and/or oak, depending on the vineyard, and aged on their lees until the malos were finished. The Cote de Lechet, Fourchaume, Bougros, Valmur and Les Clos were fermented and aged in 100-hectoliter conical oak vats. Brocard bottled the 2009s in late 2010 and early 2011. The Brocard wines are generally quite rich and lush in texture relative to most of the other wines in the region. One of the other important characteristics of this lineup is that the most complete, successful bottlings don-t always come from the most prestigious sites. I also noted that the house and vintage style marked the 2009s to a greater degree than at many other addresses, while the 2010s show more site specificity. A number of the 2010s were still undergoing malolactic fermentation, so I was only able to taste a selection of the wines from that year. The estate's vineyards are currently being converted to biodynamic farming. It will be interesting to see where the wines go from here.Importer: Martine's Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400

Vinified – as in the two preceding vintages – in a concrete egg supplemented by double-barriques, Brocard’s 2008 Chablis Les Preuses had been assembled but not yet bottled when I tasted it in April. Lanolin, coconut, and nutmeg from the new wood portion do not especially synergistically meld with fresh lemon and chalk, though this may well harmonize with a bit more time, as enologist Nadine Gublin predictably predicts. Musky narcissus and hints of orange blossom add allure to the aromas. Formidably concentrated and with palate staining grip of citrus oils and seeming mineral accretions, this preserves far greater transparency to its mineral dimension and sheer refreshment than does the corresponding Bougros. At the same time, a honeyed sense of richness emerges as one works this up in the glass and on the palate. Plan to revisit this wine by early next year, but expect it to be worth following for at least 6-8 years. Enologist Nadine Gublin (also of Domaine Jacques Prieur) headed-up the Brocards’ 2008 efforts from start to finish, including a harvest that extended well into October, while Julien Brocard continues to up the percentage of acreage farmed biodynamically at this enormous property. (Tiny lady bugs and moons are scattered discreetly across the labels of those Brocard wines that issue from “bio” vineyards.) Due to time limitations, I did not taste the entire 2008 collection here, but every wine I tasted could be recommended and is included in this report.Imported by: Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400