The Enchantment of Butteaux,
the "Perfection" of 05
2005 Raveneau 1er Cru Butteaux
Focused Offer - Only for the Chablis Freaks
"It's an odd feeling to know that [2005] was a virtually perfect vintage and we were spared what small aspects weren't perfect."
- Bernard Raveneau
We love just about any bottle that Bernard Raveneau puts out, so "A virtually perfect vintage" from him sounds like a very, very good thing.
If you're getting this email, it's because we suspect, based on your past Chablis purchases, that this might sound like a very, very good thing to you, too. We have just a few cases of wine to go around today, and the bottles are on offer at among the lowest price in the nation, so this is a focused offer going out only to those of you who have supported our Chablis program.
Today we present the 2005 Raveneau 1er Cru Butteaux at $129.95. We sourced out a tidy little parcel of this, which is very lucky in our eyes, because we've been tasting through a lot of 05 Chablis lately, and they've been thrilling - Raveneau's in particular.
This is a beautiful bottle, just, just starting to come into its prime, though as the Burghound's very positive review states, "This has plenty of nervosité and real harmony of expression," which will certainly keep this vibrant and pristine for at least another decade with proper cellaring.
As a little bit of background on the Butteaux site, this is a sub-parcel of the Montmains 1er Cru (like La Forêt), which looks back at the Grand Crus to the north and across the Serein River. It sits back a bit further from the town center than La Forêt does, and it’s typically on a silkier, leaner and more elegant wavelength than the huge, chewy, muscle-flexing Crus like Les Clos or even Montée de Tonnere.
If the framework is a bit more modest, there's a unity and seamlessness to Butteaux that's just enchanting. In this 2005, the Burghound calls attention to the wine's restrained aromatics, the great tension between power and intensity showcased in minerality, acidity and a vibrant palate of white and yellow fruit. (The Burghound's full review is below.)
There's little I can say about Raveneau's fastidious vineyard work and obsession with quality that I haven't written a hundred times in previous emails and that isn't widely know by this point. Raveneau is a king of Chablis, it's that simple. Again, we have just a few cases available today, so please give us your maximum order, and we'll allocate as fairly as possible.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
Special Email Bottle Price: $129.95
Compare at up to $165
Burghound: "Easily the best of the these three Montmains climats with an aromatically reserved nose that is clearly less ripe offers nuances of white peach, pear and sea breeze that continue onto the impressively concentrated, intense and powerful flavors that possess excellent dry extract, all wrapped around a firm acid spine and terrific length. This has plenty of nervosité and real harmony of expression."
Wine is pre-arrival
NET | No further discount