Description

The style of this vintage of Pierrick Laroche Chablis reflects the year’s quality; the wine has the fruit weight of a higher level Chablis and impeccable balance.

Pierrick Laroche Chablis is cool, lean and elegant. Dough, crisp apple, mineral on the nose. The palate is lightly creamy, which balances out the acidity. There is a long chalky finish to this Pierrick Laroche Chablis.

I find Pierrick Laroche Chablis is drinking well from now, but it will evolve in the bottle over the next 5-7 years.

Pierrick Laroche Chablis Chardonnay 2019, and all wines are eligible for at least 5% off any six bottles. And 10% off any 12 bottles. Some wines will be at a more significant discount and not subject to further discounts.

Pierrick Laroche is relatively new to the winemaking game but hasn’t let that stop him from making great wines. Using his family estate in Chablis’ northernmost village, he was awarded three stars (top score) in the French Guide Hachette. Although I haven’t had a lot of them, I’ve enjoyed every bottle of Pierrick Laroche Chablis I’ve tasted. In particular, I enjoy the Pierrick Laroche Chablis Les Chatillons.

Domaine Des Hates Pierrick Laroche Chablis Chardonnay 2019

Bill Nanson
Burgundy-report.com
Jan 2021.

“This the first bottling in May. Also only from Maligny here – the Courgis part has longer elevage as there is a little austerity – so this first bottling has none. Average 30-year-old vines
A bigger nose, a more floral nose too. Hmm – that’s super – mouth-filling and juicy – simply a really excellent wine. I love the tasty energy here.”

Neal Martin
Vinous
90 points
October 2021.

“The 2019 Chablis is a little timid on the nose but opens with aeration to reveal lemon peel, apple orchard and very light flinty aromas. The palate is taut and fresh with a spicy edge, gaining depth and gentle grip on the phenolic finish, which shows good persistence. This is a well-made Chablis-Villages with substance. Drink 2021-2029.”

Burgundy

The classic part of Burgundy, known as the Cote D’Or (the slope of gold), is essentially one vineyard that is 60km long and maybe 5km at its widest. From this limestone ridge, some of the most complex, long-lived and aromatic wines are produced from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Cistercian monks who owned the land codified the entire region, and so each small plot has a name.

Chablis 

The Kimmeridgian soils that make Chablis taste like Chablis are evident in these wines. They have more definition of the region and more structure than a Petit Chablis. But without the fruit weight and intensity of the better sites. Great wines for drinking young or youngish.

Chardonnay

The grape that you can plant anywhere, in any climate and do anything to, and it will still taste like an OK wine. When people hit the sweet spot of site, climate, cropping and winemaking, Chardonnay becomes a magical wine that will age gracefully but charm you at any age. Chardonnays can range from cool-climate lean and citrusy to warmer climate tropical and overt. Oak and lees can add flavouring, as can malolactic fermentation.

French Wine

The land that so many New World (not European) wine producers look to emulate. To generalise about French wine, I would say it is savoury, lighter-bodied wines. They are the definition of elegant, complex. There are many styles, though. And there is a French wine for every palate. They lead the world in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Burgundy. Sparkling Wine in Champagne. Cabernet and Merlot in Bordeaux. Syrah(Shiraz) and Grenache in the Rhone Valley. Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris in Alsace. Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley. Gamay in Beaujolais.

Wine

Wine is the result you get from fermented grape juice. There is proof of wine production dating back 8000 years ago. Fashions, innovations and many other factors have influenced the way wine has evolved over the years.

The wine grape is impressive. It contains everything you need to make grape wine except for the yeast, which lives on the outside of the skins.

Human inputs can influence the final product, including the viticulture (growing) choices. And the winemaker can shape the wine to a point too.

The best wines of the world often refer to terroir. Terroir is a French term that refers to all the climatic, geological and topographical influences on a specific piece of land. And it is true that neighbouring vineyards, grown identically, can taste noticeably different.

White Wine

It is interesting to know that you can make white wine from almost any grape. The colour comes from the skins, and if there is no contact, there is no colour. White wines tend to be delicate, perfumed, higher in acid and lower in alcohol. It seems for this and many other reasons, it is hard to make an incredibly impressive white wine. But those that have mastered the art are indeed some of the best winemakers in the world.

It is a falsehood to think that white wine does not age as well as red wine. But it is correct that white wine, as a rule, doesn’t age for as long.

The Wine Depository

I, Phil, have been running The Wine Depository since 2011. The Wine Depository exists to make sure you are drinking the good wines. You can browse and pick what is interesting to you. Or you can make contact with me. I’ll make sure you get what you want, to your palate, to your budget and to your door.