2023 Louis Michel Chablis

I’ve written a few emails recently about the 2024 vintage in Chablis. It was likely the most difficult growing season many producers have seen in a generation. From frost, to rain, to mildew, to more rain, it was miserable. Some growers simply gave up, as there was not enough fruit to justify harvesting at all. Those who persevered, however, in many cases produced some tremendous wines: classic, mineral-driven, with searing acidity and real energy. The problem, of course, is that production was minuscule.

I’m really starting to see the reality of just how small this vintage is. I’ve received several allocations recently from different suppliers, and they’re all saying the same thing: “I have little to nothing to offer this year.” As an example, I usually receive a William Fèvre allocation in the range of 300–400 bottles across all cuvées. This year, those numbers were 6–12 bottles per cuvée, and for some wines, nothing at all!

I’ve been actively backfilling over the past several months and am thrilled to have secured an outstanding parcel of two of the best wines from Louis Michel: the 2023 Montée de Tonnerre and Butteaux Vieilles Vignes.

Both of these wines capture everything I love about Chablis. They are aged 100 percent in stainless steel, resulting in wines focused on precision and transparency. They can feel lean in their youth, but with a couple of years of age, the minerality and density begin to emerge, a reflection of the exceptional quality of fruit from the estate’s vineyards. If Chablis is something you enjoy drinking as much as I do, these are two wines I would be adding to the cellar. 

This stock is scheduled to arrive end of February.