Editors notes
This parcel is located on the top of the slopes, with clay loam on the surface and plenty of limestone. Vertical roots plunge deep into the ground. The vines have an average age of more than 50 years.
"A formidable rendition of this reliably superb cuvée, Michel's 2017 Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux Vieilles Vignes wafts from the glass with a complex but reserved bouquet of fresh peach, crisp yellow apple, iodine, mandarin oil and paraffin wax. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, deep, dense and concentrated, with a racy spine of acidity cloaked in vibrant fruit, concluding with a long, searingly saline finish. This is well worth seeking out." 94 points. William Kelley, Wine Advocate August 2019
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Light (Light)Full (Full)
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- Apple
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- Apple
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Critic Scores & reviews
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The Wine Advocate
94"A formidable rendition of this reliably superb cuvée, Michel's 2017 Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux Vieilles Vignes wafts from the glass with a complex but reserved bouquet of fresh peach, crisp yellow apple, iodine, mandarin oil and paraffin wax. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, deep, dense and concentrated, with a racy spine of acidity cloaked in vibrant fruit, concluding with a long, searingly saline finish. This is well worth seeking out."
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Locations
France
Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.
Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.
Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)
The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.
Burgundy
Burgundy is undoubtedly the home of the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnays in the world, where vineyards, or Domaines have been producing wines for over 2000 years. Burgundy is located in the North-east of France, an hours drive from Lyon and 2 hours from Paris. With over 100 appellations, or sub-regions (more than any other wine region) Burgundy is known for being the most terroir-oriented region in the World. The finest red wines of Burgundy are found in the Côte d'Or, a string of villages including Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey St Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-St Georges.
There are flavours present in great Burgundys that are the envy of Pinot Noir producers worldwide. The elusive peacocks tail finish that goes on and on, and the pretty-elegance backed by Burgundy muscle is the goal of winemakers around the globe. The main levels in the Burgundy classifications, in descending order of quality, are: Grand crus, Premier crus, village appellations, and finally regional appellations. For the Chablis wines, a similar hierarchy of Grand Cru, Premier Cru and Village wines is used, plus Petit Chablis as a level below Village Chablis.
Chablis Grand Cru
Chablis Grand Cru is the appellation for the very highest-quality dry white wines produced around the famous town of Chablis in Northern-central France. The area is just 250 acres (100ha) of excellent vineyards on limestone rich 'Kimmeridgian soils'. The wines come from just a handful of distinct plots on one south-west-facing slope east of the town. Approximately 3% of the total Chablis output is Grand Cru.
The vineyard sites are Bougros, Les Preuses, Vaudésir, Grenouilles, Valmur, Les Clos, Blanchot and finally 'La Moutonne' which is unofficial but gradually becoming widely accepted.
There are stringent regulations guarding the quality of these wines including permitted yields, alcohol, time matured and when they can be released. This strict set of rules creates amazing minerally and honeyed flavoured wines of longevity with bottles ageing 10, 15 and even 20+ years and still at peak enjoyment.
About the brand Louis Michel & Fils
The Michel family have been cultivating their passion for tradition and the Chablis terroir since 1850. With the winery situated right in the heart of the village, this premium French Domaine has a total of 21 hectares of vineyards, mainly Premier and Grand Cru (discovered by Cistercian monks in the 11th century).
40 years ago, the family decided to stop making the wine in wooden barrels, preferring to create clean, pure and precise Chablis without adding artificial woody tastes. Through this philosophy, combined with the limited yields inspired by organic wine-growing techniques, the Domaine has developed a worldwide reputation for fine wine-making in stainless steel tanks.
The grapes themselves are also fermented at low temperatures to preserve their aromatic freshness and so that they may amply reflect the origins of their respective vineyard sites. The wines of Domaine Louis Michel are crisp, intensely flavoured wines that display what heights the Chardonnay grape can achieve in its purest and unadorned form and without the intrusion of oak.
With sixth-generation Guillaume Gicqueau-Michel now taking the reigns from uncle Jean-Loup Michel, the family continues to uphold the original principles this impressive Domaine built their reputation upon.
A firmly-rooted sense of excellence is passed down from generation to generation. Louis Michel & Fils has always been a family business and is managed today by Guillaume Gicqueau-Michel.he Michel family has been cultivating their passion for tradition and the Chablis terroir since 1850. In the mid-20th century, the family stopped making wine in wooden barrels in favor of stainless steel tanks to create clean, pure, and precise Chablis without adding artificial woody flavors. Through this philosophy, combined with limited yields inspired by organic wine-growing techniques, the domaine has developed a worldwide reputation for fine winemaking in stainless steel tanks.
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