Producer note: Régisseur Didier Séguier describes 2017 as "another complicated early start to the growing season because we had ten consecutive nights at the end of April with below 0. In particular, our parcels of Montée de Tonnerre, Vaulorent and the grands crus were more heavily affected than the others. After a cool and relatively wet spring, the summer weather and disease pressure were what I would call correct and while it was certainly warm, it wasn't so warm as to have burned away all the supporting acidity. We chose to begin picking on the 4th of September and brought in impeccably clean fruit with good maturity if varying maturity levels. This is to say that potential alcohols varied between 11 and 13% with fine acid levels that are almost as good as 2010 or 2014. Yields were also quite variable and while the average was right at 40 hl/ha, the 1ers came in between 35 and 40 hl/ha but the grands crus were 15 to 30 hl/ha. The post-malo pHs settled out at between 3.15 and 3.25 with total acidities of 4.2 to 4.6 gm/L. During the élevage I did absolutely no lees stirring though when we racked, I basically kept all of the less. As to the style of the 2017s, I would describe them as super-pure and concentrated, indeed they could be thought of as being like 2014 but not quite as fresh. Moreover I think that they will age extremely well." I have mentioned this before but it bears repeating so readers will not be surprised: for several years now Fèvre has elected to bottle its entire range, including the grands crus, under the Diam cork. Séguier indicated that the Fèvre 2016s, revisited below, were bottled between December 2017 and January 2018. (Henriot, Inc., www.henriotinc.com, NY, USA; John E. Fells and Sons, www.fells.co.uk and Berry Brothers & Rudd, www.bbr.com, both UK).
Tasting note: The nose immediately makes this wine's origins clear with its lovely aromas of oyster shell, iodine and green apple-scented aromas. There is an appealing sense of vibrancy to the delicious, intense and super-saline-inflected flavors that contrast considerably with the lavishly rich and somewhat sweet finale. A curious effort as the nose is very Chablis yet the flavors, stylistically speaking, suggest the Mâconnais.
