Expert’s choice: Chablis 2017

Severe frosts slashing yields made this a year many producers would prefer to forget. Nevertheless, the best wines are surprisingly fresh and taut, reports Tim Atkin MW

A difficult, frost-hit vintage, but the best wines are ‘classics’. Tim Atkin MW selects 30 top buys

CHABLIS, A RegION used to freezing temperatures, suffered terribly between 18 and 29 April 2017, as a series of black frosts descended from the north.

‘In 30 years, I’ve never seen vines in the high part of the Valmur grand cru hit like that,’ says Jean-Claude Bessin of his eponymous domaine. Vineyards on the right bank of the River Serein suffered worse than those on the left, but what was unusual about the frosts was that they didn’t just hit low-lying areas. All grands crus were affected to a greater or lesser extent, as were the top premiers crus of Montée de Tonnerre and Mont de Milieu. Further north, the villages of Lignorelles, Ligny-le-Châtel, La Chapelle-Vaupelteigne and Villy took a pounding, too. Overall, Chablis produced about two-thirds of a normal crop.

Chablisiens used anything they could to protect their vines: bonfires of tyres or straw bales, large candles, electric cables, fans and watering systems. Their success rate was patchy, but these measures staved off the worst effects of the frost. Some lost everything, others fared well under the circumstances, but after 2016 – another short crop hit by the gruesome threesome of

frost, hail and mildew – long faces were more than common among producers.

And yet, after a terrible start, 2017 has turned out rather well. The only problem is the small quantities – there was so little wine that some producers were selling their 2017 Chablis by January 2018. With demand exceeding supply, prices on the bulk market increased from €500 a feuillette (a 132-litre barrel) to €1,100.

The low yields produced concentration in the berries – so much so that it could potentially overwhelm Chablis’ freshness and trademark minerality, according to Patrick Piuze. ‘It was all about when you picked,’ he explains. The early birds started in the last few days of August, while the late harvesters were putting away their secateurs on 16 September.

The best 2017s are surprisingly fresh and taut, thanks to a cool summer, with significant rainfall in July, but also to producers’ desire to pick early to counter the high sugar levels. Despite the wet July, there was little if any botrytis, as August was very dry.

Do the wines resemble another Chablis vintage? Most producers plumped for a combination of two: 2014 and 2015 (Patrick Piuze), 2014 and 2002 (Vincent Dauvissat) or 2014 and 2010 (Benoît Droin). The balance between power and acidity is a key feature of many 2017s. Some wines are a little exotic, edging closer to the softness and richness of 2016, but the top examples are classic Chablis.

They may lack the thrilling crunch and bite of the majestic 2014s but, at their best, they aren’t far behind in quality. Alcohol levels are reasonable at between 12% and 12.5%, and the top wines have the structure to age better than the 2015s and ’16s.

If you like classic Chablis for medium-term drinking, this is a vintage for you. Prices will increase on 2016 in many cases, but these wines are comparative Burgundian bargains.