2019 Pattes Loup Chablis Premier Cru “Butteaux”
Producer
Domaine Pattes Loup (wolf’s paws) was founded in 2005 by Thomas Pico in the village of Courgis. At a young age, Thomas inherited 2.4 hectares of family vineyards, among them was one named “Pattes Loup”, and against his father’s wishes, began limiting yields to improve the quality of the fruit. He also converted to organic viticulture with the guidance of fellow Chablisiennes Alice and Olivier DeMoor, who are considered some of the top farmers and winemakers of the region.
Thomas is a rising star in the appellation and is taking great risks to farm organically in an inhospitable growing climate. His commitment to farming includes cover crop rotation and planting trees between the vines. As such, his estate his hailed as one of the most exciting to come out of Chablis in years and his wines are seen as the essence of the land, but not in a “pop-and-pour” with oysters kind of way. They are wines to savor and let unfold slowly in the glass or decanter. They have a truly unique character, not only in their briny minerality but also in a complex and vinous quality that comes from the natural and slow evolution from vineyard to bottle over many years. Overall, there is a true sense of vitality to the wines, and a textured density that can only come from dedicated work in the vineyards and transparent winemaking.
His wines are made through minimal intervention techniques in the cellar including native yeast fermentations without temperature control and minimal sulfur use, and they’re not fined or filtered. This allows a greater purity and focus on the terroir. His wines are often compared to and listed among the very best age-worthy wines the region has to offer.
Wine Information
Producer: Domaine Pattes Loup, Thomas Pico
Cuvée: 2019 Chablis Premier Cru “Butteaux” Mise Tardive (late release)
Winemaking: native yeast fermentation
Aging & Fermentation: fermented and aged one year in old oak barrel, then two years in concrete tank, then one year in bottle prior to release.
Time & Place
Region: Burgundy, France
Grape: Chardonnay
Terroir: High elevation vineyards, some of the highest in Chablis, which is Burgundy’s northernmost village. Planted in soils of marl, 150 million year old fossil-rich kimmeridgian limestone and clay. 50 year old vines planted selection massale (genetically diverse) on south and east facing slopes.
The Vintage: 2019 in Chablis was sunny and very very dry, which limited the productivity of the vines, yielding small crop of concentrated wines with the typical bright acidity.
Why this wine?
My intention was to showcase an exemplary Chardonnay from Chablis with a touch of age. Its typical notes of lime and minerality are just so unique to the region. The popularity of high-quality wines from Burgundy has exploded, often making the wines inaccessible. But when they’re good, they sure are worth it, & this is one of those wines. Thomas even did the hard work of aging it for us! While you could age this further for a nuttier and softer expression, it sure is drinking great now with fruit and acidity perfectly integrated. Drink this with flambeed lobster & prawn in a citrus & butter sauce.
