Whilst 1994 was a good honest, even generous vintage, which gave us wines which can already be appreciated for their true qualities, they will also keep for a good few years and could be brought out to toast the advent of the new millennium. Yet if this is the stuff of mere mortals, the 1995 wines are truly the nectar of the Gods! These wines appear in their full finery - they are fresh yet well developed and bursting with fruit, a joy to behold in their youth, but with the promise of great things in years to come.
There were moments at the dawning of this vintage that were cause for a good deal of anxiety. All seemed to be going well, with Spring perhaps colder than average coming late after what had been a mild but rainy Winter. Suddenly the temperature took a nose-dive on 15th May to an all time low of -2C. It was feared that there was worse to come, but mercifully, the cold weather passed on by, unlike in 1994, when the frost really did set in. June brought a dry and sunny spell, which provided the ideal conditions for the vines to flourish. The whole summer was indeed magnificent. There were times at the end of July when temperatures soared to over 36C.
The Chardonnay vines were at this stage in fine fettle, although grapes were perhaps on the small size - this however, merely confirmed that there would be good sugar concentration and a broad range of flavours. It seemed almost that the vines grew with even greater determination, as though to avenge the decimated crops of the previous year. It might even have been said that they were doing too well. Yet the sun continued to shine relentlessly. The grapes were bursting with health, just like those of the 1990 and 1992 harvests and clearly promised that an abundant yield was to come. It couldn't have been better. But then, at the end of August, the weather took a turn for the worse, the sky clouded over and temperatures plummeted.
What, we ask, was to become of the Chardonnay? It held its own throughout this bleak spell, and waited for better days to come - which they eventually did, perhaps later than expected. Temperatures remained at a chilly 15C up until the time of harvesting. Then good old mother nature stepped in to give a helping hand - as she has done so many times before. In answer to the prayers of the Chablis winemakers, she brought blue skies once more.
The start of harvesting had been set for the 25th and on the 23rd the long awaited sun came out and looked set to stay. By this point it was really needed; although the grapes were strong and healthy, having been protected against rot by the sheer cold, they were still registering a strength of only around 1O degrees of alcohol. Over the next few days the grapes basked in the sun, which concentrated their natural sugars and helped them on their way to reaching the strength needed in time for harvesting. Quite clearly, Chablis had only just escaped a monumental catastrophe. Having survived this however, violent storms on the night of 4th October and hail throughout the following day did get the better of some of the vines. On the whole, though, nothing, could daunt these vines and on they fought to provide a most abundant crop.
One wine producer summed up the new vintage at a blind tasting held at the end of March by saying "This wine is so good, you can really sink your teeth into it !". Some 130 wines from the '95 vintage, (with just about every wine produced that year being represented) were scrutinised by a panel of experts, under the expert eye of wine journalist Michel Bettane. Of this 130, a mere two were cast aside, being criticised for their "poor taste". The remaining wines battled it out with each other to be considered the most favoured. The experience was quite a revelation - the new wines showed a good first attack on the palate, characteristic of Chablis wines, and fruit flavours so pronounced that it seemed that you could chew on them. There was no trace of aggressiveness here - just a silky smooth balance and sheer refinement.
Are there similarities with other vintages? Certainly these wines are as generous and refined as those of 1990, and whilst perhaps not quite as rich, they are better structured and with a great acidity. It could also be said that this vintage has more feminine characteristics. Only time will tell so we had better wait and see. These wines will give great pleasure and look set to mature as great vintage wines. The only drawback is that they are just so good for drinking now that we might well be inclined to polish the lot off before they even get a chance to mature! A little self-restraint needs to be exercised here to ensure that some of them make it into their twilight years.
In their current state, these wines express their youthful charms. Certainly if you uncork a bottle now, you will not be disappointed. Yet as they develop, they are certain to become more complex in style. They should be allowed to mature for at least another year, or even better, if you can resist the temptation, leave them alone until after the Autumn of 1998.
Dine Online Copyright Clifton Media Associates 1996, All rights reserved.