The chance to taste fourteen separate Chablis from a single grower across the same vintage was an opportunity too interesting to pass up on the final day of the London Wine Fair. Also thrown in were a couple of 2009 wines. Jean-Marc Brocard is one of the larger Chablis producers, a business he started from scratch in 1974. Some of the vineyards have been put on a biodynamic footing.

Generally the wines were appetizing and racy, and it was interesting teasing out the sometimes fractional differences between the wines, especially some of the Premier Crus. 2008 felt like a good year with firm acid and great freshness. Clearly these are wines that need time in bottle to fill out, the Premier Crus at least five plus years and the Grand Crus ten.  Though Brocard is maybe not in the first rank of Chablis growers like Louis Michel and William Fevre, I found these wines very good.

Jean-Marc Brocard, Petit Chablis, Domaine St Claire, 2009:  Straw; quite ripe and full; spikey apple; some smoke and flint. Pretty good. 86+/100

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis, Domaine St Claire, 2009: Straw; ripe, some butter almost; mineral palate; fresh finish. 87/100

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Old Vines 2008: [60 years old, average age 30] Straw; some green; quite animal, wet stone; good grip and some smoke. Very pleasant and moreish. Acid and race. Good 88+/100

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Premier Cru Vaucopin 2008: Straw; firm, real minerality and race; quite steely palate, good balanced nice acid. Good. 88/100

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Premier Cru Côte du Lechet 2008: Straw; minerals and steel again; stones and pebbles on the palate; firm; quite strong wine. 88/100

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Premier Cru Vau de Vey 2008: [Biodynamic] Bit paler straw; rounded on the nose; less steel; palate some race; still quite neutral, lacks a bit of zip at the end. 86/100 [vineyard on 52 degree slope]

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons 2008: Pale straw; quite sturdy; real minerality here; slate, some animal, mineral[ bit more body; some length; softer palate. Good length. Attractive 88+/100

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Premier Cru Montmain 2008: Straw, some green; quite tight; some apple; nice palate with a twist, appetizing. Some length here and fresh acid. Good. 89+/100

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Premier Cru Fourchaume 2008: Straw with hint of green; attractive; minerals and slate; palate quite firm and racy 88/100

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Premier Cru Mont de Milieu 2008: Straw and hint of green; attractive nose; quite full, intense and good. Good concentration and fine depth. Length. 89+/100

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Premier Cru Butteaux 2008: Straw; minerality and slate; some life. Goodish 87/100

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnère, 2008: Straw; palate quite deep; minerals some fruit [barrel influence – small proportion received oak] rounder. 88/100

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Premier Cru Vaulorent 2008: [aged in foudre] Straw; lemons, nice lift to the nose; good fresh Chardonnay; wet stone and lemony notes. Very suave 90+/100 [Vaulorent is the only Premier Cru on a Grand Cru hill – Les Preuses]

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Grand Cru, Bourgros 2008:  Pale straw; some butter and lemon; full flavoured strong wine; quite fat and attractive with richness. Bourgros is typically the fattest of the Grand Crus. Suave with good punctuation at the end. Good length. Very good 92+/100

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Grand Cru Valmur, 2008: Pale straw; Steely and quite tight nose; good palate; quite racy. Fine. Will Benefit from age 90/100

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Grand Cru,  Les Clos 2008: [Brocard has 33% of the Grand Cru] Pale straw; some butter; quite clean but attractive palate. Will put on weight with bottle age. 90+/100

Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses 2008: [Biodynamic, 25% old barrels, 75 concrete cuves] Very creamy attractive nose; some milky notes; very attractive wine with length. Relatively fat and attractive. 91+/100