Domaine Pattes Loup - Chablis 1er Cru "Butteaux" 2021

ID:
• Origin: Chablis (Courgis), Burgundy, France
• Appellation: Chablis 1er Cru AOC (climat Butteaux)
• Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay
• Alcohol percentage: approx. 13%
• Style: Lean, chalky, saline mineral, layered and precise
• Ageing potential: Now until 2036+
• Rating: 91/100 Vinous (2019)

Chablis 1er Cru "Butteaux" 2021 from Domaine Pattes Loup is a distinctive terroir wine that seamlessly combines power and precision. The nose reveals notes of lemon zest, ripe apple, and white peach, intertwined with flint, wet chalk, and a clear saline touch. On the palate, the wine is compact and taut, with a deep core of citrus and stone fruit, vibrant acidity, and a firm, chalky structure. The finish is long, lean, and mineral, with a lingering saline tension.

Vinification.
The grapes are hand-harvested from Kimmeridgian slopes. After gentle pressing, the must ferments spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, with minimal intervention. The wine undergoes exceptionally long aging on its fine lees, typically around 30 months, mainly in stainless steel tanks with a smaller portion in neutral wooden barrels for added texture. After bottling, the wine is given additional bottle rest before release so that tension, structure, and complexity can integrate beautifully.

The domain.
Domaine Pattes Loup is Thomas Pico's project in Courgis and is among the most sought-after addresses in Chablis for terroir-driven wines with depth and aging potential. The domain works organically, with extensive manual labor, low yields, and great attention to soil life and biodiversity. In the cellar, Pico deliberately opts for minimal intervention and very long aging with late bottling, allowing his wines to develop a remarkable combination of texture, tension, and mineral precision.