Tasting Notes
Antonio Galloni 95
Raveneau’s 2010 Chablis Butteaux is beautifully expressive on the bouquet, where layers of petrol, smoke and melted rocks fuse together with notable elegance. The Butteaux is a wine of all dimensions; it is at once vertical and horizontal, with fabulous purity and exceptional overall balance. This is one of the larger-scaled 2010s here. In many ways it encapsulates the personality of the vintage.
Anticipated maturity: 2015-2015
Neal Martin 95
The scintillating 2010 Chablis Butteaux 1er Cru displays far more energy compared to the 2007 tasted alongside, more articulation of terroir, chalk and sea spray intertwining with a patina of yellow fruit. The palate upholds that sense of drive, deriving electrical tension from its acidity The faintest reduction binds the finish together and lends captivating penetration. Good luck finding a better Butteaux!
Vinous 91+
Pale yellow. Reticent nose hints at musky peach and lime. Brisk, tight and rather uncompromising today, conveying an impression of strong acidity and youthful tannins. The slightly phenolic citrussy finish is subtle, serious and long. This distinctly backward wine calls for a good six or seven years of cellaring. (The Raveneaus’ 2010 Montee de Tonnerre, Blanchots, Valmur and Clos, which I already reported on from barrel last year, were set to be bottled a week after my visit. Retastes of those wines underscored their high quality and captivating sucrosite; my scores were within the ranges I published in Issue 157: 92-94, 92-94, 93-95 and 94-96, respectively. The Valmur and Clos were knockouts again, with the former wine less powerful but perhaps more classic Chablis, and the flamboyantly silky and expressive Clos showing the musky peach and spice richness of a top Puligny-Montrachet wine. None of these cuvees were particularly austere.)
Wine Advocate 95
I ordered a bottle of the 2010 Chablis 1er Cru les Butteaux at the impeccable Au Fil du Zinc restaurant in Chablis and immediately grabbed my pen to scribble a tasting note. This is such a scintillating Chablis, one that encapsulates everything great about the 2010 vintage. The nose is mineral through and through–imagine getting down on your hands and knees and just inhaling limestone after a shower. The palate continues that tensile, mineral-driven theme. It is incredibly tense, perhaps benefiting from a slight, but pleasant reduction towards the finish, with awesome length and precision. What a fantastic Butteaux from Domaine Raveneau.
Anticipated maturity: 2016-2040
