2018 William Fevre Chablis les Preuses Grand Cru 1.5L (Pre-arrival)

Decanter/Tim Atkin 97 – “This comes from two parcels, facing east and south-west, respectively, making a very tidy 2.5ha in total. Showing the delicate touch of one of the very best winemakers in Chablis, this is a saline, focused, wonderfully structured Preuses that has plenty of grip and acidity, sappy, bone-dry flavors and remarkable length.”

Vinous/Antonio Galloni (95-97) – “The 2018 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru is a super-classic expression of this site. Bright, punchy and intensely mineral, the Preuses possesses off-the-charts intensity and exceptional balance, all with the crystalline purity that is the signature of the very best wines from this site. Lemon peel, slate, mint, crushed rocks, white pepper and flowers build into the explosive, palate-staining finish. What a magnificent wine this is.”

Inside Burgundy/Jasper Morris (93-96) – “Fine pale lemon colour. Some warmth and spice to the nose, typical of the appellation. Just as you think it is easy-going another dimension of energy cracks on, displaying warmth and sunshine by all means but with enough tension behind. Les Preuses offers a rich ripe finish but has not lost an ounce of balance. As ever the texture here reminds me of cashmere.”

View From the Cellar/John Gilman 95 – “The 2018 les Preuses is even a bit more reserved out of the blocks than the stellar Valmur this year, but it is clearly a wine of enormous potential. The nose delivers a great combination of pear, lemon, straw, kaleidoscopic, chalky minerality, white flowers and a topnote of paraffin. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and still quite primary, with a full-bodied format, a rock solid core and superb cut and backend mineral drive on the very, very long and very promising finish. A simply stellar example of this magical terroir!”

Wine Advocate/William Kelley (93-95) – “Another success is the 2018 Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses, a full-bodied, ample and enveloping wine that displays notes of orange rind, oyster shell, white flowers and smoke. On the palate, it’s deep, concentrated and incisive, concluding with a saline finish. ”

Burghound/Allen Meadows (93-95) – “This is one of the most elegant wines in the range with its cool and admirably airy and pure aromas of citrus zest, oyster shell, seashore and once again gentle wood nuances. The mouth feel of the medium-bodied flavors combines volume with refinement while delivering excellent length on the balanced, stony and markedly dry finale. This is not quite as concentrated as the best here but as it usually is, it’s a marvelous wine of refinement and punch.”