Digging in the cellar: Patrick Piuze Chablis Vaulorent 2012

Following the Pommery I wrote about last week, this 2012 Piuze is the latest wine to escape from the Graham cellar.

I bought this bottle back in 2013 when I visited Patrick in Chablis itself. He was bottling and knee deep in labels, but opened loads of wine anyway. He’s great value! More interesting is his perspective as a French Canadian outsider, working in what seems to be a tightly held, somewhat insular (but worthy) region.

The wines of Vaulorent have always intrigued too. According to local folklore, Vaulorent was always meant to be classified as Grand Cru but local politics got in the way, ever getting there. Right alongside Les Preuses, it’s prime vineyard land and produces top wines. Wish more Vaulorent ended up here in Australia.

This particular bottle was opened at France Soir for my birthday dinner a week or so back. While France Soir was in classic form (and the steak was perfect), this Chablis just didn’t quite hit the high notes to match (God we ate some food though).

Golden yellow, the nose here is classic wet clay Chablis, yet the palate is thicker and broader than you’d expect. There’s this unexpected forward peachy richness in particular that peaks out. It’s an atypical character for Chablis and especially in a year like 2012. Still, there’s still plenty of acidity underneath and it wasn’t corky – just a bit ill-defined. Firm finish though, so all may well come good with time.

I lugged two bottles of this around in a suitcase for 3 weeks so it is possible that it was mildly mistreated too. It was a holiday after all. But for the moment, A phase perhaps, where it is stuck between primary and secondary flavours.

Ultimately I still enjoyed my glass or three, without quite living up to the standard that I remember. Best drinking: If you have some, hold for a few more years. 17.5/20, 91/100.