Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots La Réserve de l’Obédience – 2018
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Vineyard Profile
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Chablis—Grand Cru Réserve de l’Obédience is produced from the finest selection of Les Blanchots grand cru vineyards. The eight plots that Laroche owns total 4.56 hectares (11 acres). Each plot is distinctive, with different vine age, location on the slope, rootstock, clone origin and soil depth — implying a variety of styles.
- Definition: The 9th century monastery, L’Obédiencerie is where monks made the first Chablis, in the town of Chablis itself. The main offices and cellars of Domaine Laroche are located in this ancient stone monastery which is known as the birthplace of Chablis. La Réserve de l’Obédience is blended from the best wines of Les Blanchots grand cru, selected for their balance and harmony. Seventy different components kept in tanks, casks or large old wooden vats may be considered for the final blend.
- Viticulture: One man, one plot: There are more than 30 people who are dedicated to caring for the 90-plus hectares (222.39 acres) of Domaine Laroche vineyards, with each person responsible for only one plot. This tailor-made approach allows them to manage the vineyards with precision, speed and accuracy. Everyone at Domaine Laroche practices “lutte raisonnée,” or “reasoned protection,” (using chemical intervention only when required): The vineyard is plowed to aerate the soil and encourage development of the root system, as well as the organic life in the soil. Vines are pruned and trained by hand, with a strict pruning and debudding regimen. Leaf plucking occurs to aerate the canopy and avoid the development of botrytis, while trellising aerates the grapes and provides them with favorable exposure.
- Vine Age: Up to 70 years
- Density: 5,880 vines per hectare (2,380 vines per acre); massal selection from Laroche old vines for the new plantings
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Vintage Report
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In 2018 the summer conditions were dry with temperatures above seasonal norms (> 98 °F) which favored an advanced veraison of 8 days compared to the previous year. After 2 challenging years with harvest volume down 50%, we are thankful for the abundant and high quality of vintage 2018.
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Vinification
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Pressing: The grapes are harvested and sorted by hand. Whole bunches in a pneumatic press, then 12 hours settling at 12° C to 15° C (53° F to 59° F) in specially designed wide tanks.
- Fermentation: 3 weeks (50% in stainless-steel vats where the temperature gradually increases from 16° C to 19° C, (61° F to 66° F); 50% in French oak, of which 15% is new).
- Aging: 9 months aging in 60% stainless steel tanks. The individual lots are blended together from the best wines then bottled and aged for another 6 months.
- Filtration: Minimal filtration is used to preserve and maximize the natural character of the wine.
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay
- Alcohol: 12.5%
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Tasting Notes
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La Réserve de l’Obédience is a delicate and subtle wine, and shows a different style in it’s youth and in it’s maturity. Before 5 years, the white fruit aromas, the mineral finish and the extraordinary freshness make a wonderful experience of a Chablis Grand Cru.
After 8 to 10 years, the inherent richness of its origin is expressed at its best and the soft spices and acacia honey notes, still supported by the freshness, deliver a surprising expression.
With its harmony and refinement, La Réserve de l’Obédience allows a number of food pairings and can be appreciated at any occasion, at home with some friends or in a gastronomic restaurant. A single glass becomes a unique moment of sharing which will remain in your memories.
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Images
Reviews
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Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots La Réserve de l’Obédience – 2018 – Wine Spectator – 93 Points
Intense, offering lavender, honeysuckle, apricot, lemon and saline flavors, packed into a creamy texture. Vibrant, converging on the long aftertaste, where lemon and stone elements collide. Drink now through 2025. 330 cases made, 50 cases imported.
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Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots La Réserve de l’Obédience — 2018 – Vinous – 93 Points
The 2018 Chablis Les Blanchots La Réserve de l’Obedience Grand Cru is blessed with a wonderful bouquet: white peach, quince, Japanese yuzu and subtle ground stone scents, all beautifully delineated. The palate is very well balanced with a lively entry and a touch of licorice (not a trait you often find on Chablis, but it works!). Great energy here and real depth. The slightly viscous finish lingers long in the mouth. A superb La Réserve de l’Obedience, even if not the very best vintage in recent years.
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Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots La Réserve de l’Obédience – 2018 – The Wine Advocate – 92+ Points
The 2018 Chablis Grand Cru Blanchots La Réserve de l'Obédience is showing well, offering up aromas of crisp yellow apple, citrus oil, toasted almonds and warm bread, framed by a patina of oak that integrates nicely with a little time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, muscular and structured, it's firm and mineral, built around an appreciable presence of dry extract. Youthful and introverted, it will be fascinating to revisit with a few years in bottle.
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Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots La Réserve de l’Obédience – 2018 – Decanter – 95 Points
There's no mention of the fact on the label, but this brilliant Chablis is a selection of the best lots from Laroche's extensive holdings in the Blanchot Grand Cru, chosen in a blind tasting. Pale, racy and enticingly perfumed and elegant, it's another triumph over the vintage conditions with tangy, crunchy acidity, classic limestone freshness and intensity and fine, scented oak. Blanchot at its inimitable best. Les Clos Grand Cru also scored 96 and the Blanchot 95. Drinking Window 2021 – 2030.