According to Raveneau, the airy exposure of its site inherently lends more elegance to his 2006 Chablis Valmur and less weight or opulence than the Blanchots. (The Valmur, too, originates with a high average age of vine.) Diverse flowers and herbal high tones in the nose usher in a remarkably polished, refined palate, one no less tactile in its mineral dimensions than the Blanchots, but more transparent, and with a lift that matches its wafting floral perfume and a purity of yellow plum and grapefruit that are seductively succulent. This unforgettably persistent, truly grand cru should dazzle for 12-15 years. Bernard Raveneau is an unabashed partisan of his 2005s – and no wonder, based on the subset of those that I tasted, including a magnificent Valmur which he rightly terms “complete” and “close to his ideal.” Raveneau is less effusive in praise of his 2006s – each of which I tasted from a selection of barrels – opining that lavish fruit and richness are precisely this collection’s fortes. I think he underestimates the depth of his own 2006s, and only hope I have opportunity to revisit some of them in five or ten years. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524

Pale yellow. Pure but reticent nose offers cooler notes of lemon, acacia flower and minerals; closed today but conveys much more lift than the Blanchots. Then tactile, intensely flavored and firmly structured, with a wonderfully light touch for such a concentrated wine. In its sheer definition of fruits, flowers and minerals, this transcends the vintage. Finishes vibrant and very long, with a rare floral intensity that is simultaneously subtle and palate-staining.