-
94
/ 100
Decanter -
94
/ 100
John Gilman -
94
/ 100
Tim Atkin MW -
94
/ 100
Burghound -
93
/ 100
Jasper Morris MW
White
Classification
Chardonnay
Variety
2021
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
France
Country
Burgundy, Chablis
Region
13.0%
Alcohol %
5-10 Years
Cellaring
Scores
94 / 100"Louis Michel's old-vine Butteaux comes from vines with an average age of 65 years (45 years in the 'standard' bottling). The soil here is white clay - very dense in texture and poorly drained. An excellent balance of power and richness here with lemon/lime notes on the palate, all kept taut and in line by the vibrant hit of acidity. This could compare favorably with many a grand cru."
- Decanter
94 / 100
"The 2021 Butteaux “Vieilles Vignes” had not yet been bottled and was showing beautifully as a result. The deep and pure bouquet jumps from the glass in a blend of pear, green apple, fresh lime, straw, a nice touch of smokiness, citrus zest and a complex base of chalky minerality. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, complex and mineral-driven, with zesty acids, impeccable balance and a long, focused and bouncy finish. Fine, fine juice. 2025-2050."
- John Gilman
94 / 100
"Luckily, this parcel is lower than the rest of the domaine's vines, so it wasn't covered in snow. It is focused, peppery, tingly with citrus and concentrated through and through with pure fruit. Guillaume says that the Vieilles Vignes generally sells at 25% more than the classic Butteaux...and while I'm happy to drink either, I'm certainly happy to pay the upcharge for this clearly stellar example of Butteaux."
- Tim Atkin MW
94 / 100
"Note: from 60+ year old vines. This is aromatically quite similar to the regular cuvée though on the palate there is a bit more volume to the superbly intense, powerful and focused finale that is slightly firmer as well. This is potentially terrific and definitely one to look for. *Burghound Sweet Spot Outstanding!*"
- Burghound
93 / 100
"This plot is lower down and had less snow, so not so badly hit as the regular Butteaux. A light lemon colour with a green tint. The bouquet is more perfumed than the straight Butteaux bottling. The wine though has retained its Chablisian character throughout with a fresher rather than softer finish, and impeccable length. An elegant rendition of this key wine at the domaine."
- Jasper Morris MW
Tasting Notes
The 2021 Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux Vieilles Vignes is as usual one of the highlights of the range, unwinding in the glass with aromas of peach, ripe citrus oil and beeswax mingled with hints of toasted nuts and reduction. Medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, it's pure and precise, with racy acids and a saline finish. Now bottled under Diam, this will reward some bottle age.
Intense and tensile wines are the calling card here, pure and unadorned in style and consistently high in quality. Indeed, as I've written before, I sometimes think that Louis Michel is the most underrated of Chablis's larger domaines. The big news at this address is a very welcome shift to Diam closures—with the exception of the Vaulorent that was bottled earlier for reasons explained in the accompanying notes—which should guarantee these wines' graceful evolution in bottle.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity