Romain Collet’s lineup of 2018 Chablis is delicious. From their simple Vieilles Vignes to the magnificent Grand Cru Les Clos, Romain Collet handled the warm vintage with expert control, finding perfect balance and freshness in every cuvée.
Among our favorites this year was the Chablis 1er cru “Montmains.” Drawn from 45 year old vines in a Kimmeridgian limestone-filled vineyard, Romain uses no new oak for this cuvée: it’s Chablis at its most pure and brilliant.
Chablis is the ultimate food wine — dry, crisp, vibrant, and refreshing. With everyone cooking at home more than usual these days, this is as versatile as food-paring wines come. Jasper Morris MW writes that Romain Collet’s domaine “is moving towards joining the pantheon” in Chablis.
Collet’s 2018 Chablis 1er Montmains full of both depth and tension. The nose is bright and bursting with pear, stones, sea spray, lemon peel, and honey. The mouth is dry and chiseled, filled with exquisite tension and notes of green apple, chalk and oyster shells. Morris awarded 91-93 points, finding it “all about the stones,” with “good intensity and tension.”
We drink this with lots of food, but a particular favorite chez nous is Chicken Schnitzel. Use panko crumbs; after browning pour off most of the oil and deglaze with wine and finish with a cream reduction. The Chablis cuts like a knife through the sauce: a dynamic and delightful pair.
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Collet Chablis 1er “Montmains” 2018
bottle price: $35
FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES