In the dozen years since he took over his family’s domaine, Romain Collet has elevated its reputation as fast as any new generation we’ve witnessed. We’ve noticed it ourselves, but we’re not alone — writers from Vinous, Burghound and Robert Parker 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.
Last week we sat down to taste through samples of Collet’s 2019s, and once again the quality impressed us mightily. Romain has steered his domaine through a series of tough years, and despite hail, frost, heat, and blight, has yet to produce a bad vintage.
We’re excited to offer all the Collet 2019s with the release of next Sunday’s May Futures, but we’ve selected three premier crus to explore in a bit more detail today.
A big part of Romain’s success is his willingness to let each cuvée speak for itself, and no series better illustrates this than his premier crus. We’ve selected three of our favorite cuvées — all 2019s, all delicious, and all classic expressions of Chablis — but each honest and unique.
First Montmains, a cuvée raised entirely in stainless steel. The terroir for this wine is extremely low in clay, which contributes to Collet’s decision to eschew oak entirely. We found the 2019 fresh and delightful — plenty of dry lemon fruit, with hints of stones and shells on the finish. Jasper Morris gave 89-92, finding it “attractive and quite persistent.” Dry, unoaked fruit dominates here, with terrific tension.
Next Vaillons, located one valley west of Montmains. The Collets farm a very large plot here – 10 hectares – and the soils are particularly heavy in limestone. Romain raises this cuvée in a combination of stainless, old barrels, foudres, which add complexity rather than any notes of oak. The nose offers a hint of dry spice with the fruit, and in the mouth a touch of salinity focuses the wine’s minerality. The result is a wine that’s drier than Montmains, and one in which the stones dominate the fruit. Morris gave this Vaillons 91-93 points, noting “impressive intensity” and finding it “very persistent.” The 2019 is among the best vintages we can remember for this wine, a perfect balance of fruit and minerals.
Finally, for those who like their Chablis steely and bone-dry, there’s Forêts. 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.” Forêts is classically Chablisien, the most delicate and crystalline of the three, with terrific focus and chiseled texture.
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Collet Chablis 1er “Montmains” 2019: $350/case
Collet Chablis 1er “Vaillons” 2019: $350/case
Collet Chablis 1er “Forêts” 2019: $375/case
Email Tom to reserve any of the three cuvées.
