There is nothing awkward at all about the 2004 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru, which is mind-blowingly beautiful from the moment it is served. Vibrant and bursting with life, the 2004 possesses dazzling intensity from start to finish. Tangerine oil, lemon confit, wild flowers and slate are some of the signatures, but more than anything else, the 2004 stands out for its exquisite beauty and overall harmony. A rush of floral and mineral notes leaves a long and lasting impression on the close. At fifteen years of age, the 2004 is in the sweet spot for delivering pure pleasure, but it will drink well for many years to come. What a wine!

Pale, green-tinged color. More raw and bracing on the nose than the Butteaux but more complex too, hinting at ginger, quinine, grapefruit, menthol and crushed stone. Precise, pure and tightly wound, with terrific precision to the citrus and stone flavors. But this juicy wine is not yet pliant or particularly expressive, and its density is overshadowed today by its citric spine. Distinctly austere but very long and subtle on the aftertaste. This bottle certainly tracks the barrel sample I tried a year ago. I'd wait six or seven years on this baby.

Middle-aged wet wool nose but real vitality. Lots of alcohol and masses of acidity! Really still quite painful to taste. Hard work for the moment but promising for the long term. (JR)