Bright yellow color. Crushed stone, snap pea, white truffle and vanilla on the nose. Fat, silky and full, but without any impression of undue weight. Impressively horizontal and fleshy for premier cru, and utterly seamless. Finishes with superb length and considerable complexity. Looks to be an outstanding example of this premier cru bottling.

The spiced mineral-scented 2004 Chablis Butteaux is a pretty, medium-bodied wine. Its engaging, satin-textured personality unleashes delightful spiced apple flavors. This potentially outstanding effort has lovely depth of fruit and a terrific mouth-feel. Drink it by 2011. The Raveneau brothers were in the process of bottling their 2004s when I visited the estate in late April, 2006. “This is a vintage of pleasure, the 2004s are simple wines, they do not have a powerful constitution,” said Bernard Raveneau, who concentrates on vineyard work and handles the vinifications. (His brother Francois deals with all the tractor work as well as the administrative issues.) He reiterated what I’d heard in all of Burgundy’s cellars, that the yields had gotten totally out of control during the rain-plagued month of August. “We harvested 70 hectoliters per hectare on average across the entire estate. We’ve never seen such a plethoric vintage!” Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524