Domaine Louis Michel & Fils is one of the historic Chablis families, working a 25-hectare estate established in the mid-nineteenth century. The house pioneered the all-stainless-steel style of Chablis in the 1980s, and continues to vinify and age every wine without oak so that the Kimmeridgian limestone of the appellation comes through unfiltered.
Butteaux is part of the Montmains group of Premier Crus on the left bank of the Serein, and the Vieilles Vignes bottling is drawn from a parcel of remarkable old vines planted in 1955. The white-clay soils on this corner of the cru are distinct from the rest of Butteaux and give a wine of unusual depth and texture for left-bank Chablis.
The 2023 opens with lime, pear, green apple, white blossom and a touch of anise lifting from a foundation of chalky stone. The palate is full-bodied, complex and mineral-driven, with beautiful mid-palate fruit and a long, zesty, finely balanced finish. A serious old-vine Premier Cru built for medium-term cellaring.
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