In recent years the profile of Chablis has changed a bit. Most cuvées still show the terroir’s classic stony, mineral intensity; but warm summers have added a bit of extra flesh to the wines. Our favorites still taste like Chablis, but are often a bit easier to approach young or on their own.
Winemaker Romain Collet has deftly steered his family’s domaine through this new climate, and we’re not alone in this conclusion. Wine Critics Allen Meadows (Burghound) and William Kelley (Wine Advocate) have noted a “higher level of refinement” and a “significant upsurge in quality.” Jasper Morris MW writes that Romain Collet “is moving towards joining the pantheon” in Chablis.
All of Collets 2019s are terrific, and many readers have been enjoying the Montmains and Vaillons cuvées. But today we’re focused on Forêts, the cuvée for those who like their Chablis steely and bone-dry.
From a subsection of the Montmains hillside, this plot is extremely steep and stony. This cuvée is vinified in cement eggs, which allow a long, slow, cool fermentation. We found the 2019 Forêts electric and vibrant, with muted fruit and a gorgeous fresh salinity. Morris gave it 89-92, finding “white fruit and saline.”
Collet’s Forêts 2019 is a classic, and while the vintage certainly contributed a bit of extra ripeness and gras, this has the Chablisienne zip of yesteryear.
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Collet Chablis 1er “Forêts” 2019
bottle price: $38