Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots - Réserve de l'Obédience Domaine Laroche 1998

Domaine Laroche has superb plots in Chablis and completes its supply by purchasing grapes. Created by the very dynamic Michel Laroche, the domaine was sold to Advini in 2009 like the other domaines he created in Languedoc (Le Mas de la Chevalière), Chile (Punto Alto) and South Africa (L’Avenir). Thanks to the group's investments, the wines have continued to progress. The maturity is perfectly mastered: the grapes are ripe but always retain superb acidity and the wines are mostly matured in barriques but without ever getting marked. A location which is not-to-be-missed.

In addition to being a cuvée spéciale – an indication of the skill of the Domaine Laroche – the Réserve de l'Obédience is remarkable for its purity of expression and faithfulness to its terroir. A rich, heavy nose, with honey and butter scents. Intensely, sumptuously fruity and ripe, it is more expansive in its youth than Les Clos. Its superb complexity and weight are balanced by its freshness and mineral structure. Long on the palate, it is persistent, with a silky finish. It should ideally be decanted before serving, to help its beautiful bouquet to open up.