Chardonnay, En Barbi, Arbois, 2019

A different kettle of fish to the Grand Curoulet, less ballerina-like more muscled but with tone and nuance, too. Rich and powerful stone fruit and citrus flavours dominate the mid palate before being washed away by a wave of salty fresh stones and minerals on the lengthy finish. Serious, structured and intensely mineral in a Chablis Montmains kind of way, but with more ripeness and flesh. Impressive. Pelican have been farming this En Barbi parcel since 2012 with particular interest. It is a South-facing plot, sheltered from the winds due to its location at the end of an amphitheatre of hills surrounding it. Its southerly exposure accounts for the early and complete maturation at harvest time. The soil is silty clay over grey marls, resulting in excellent drainage and a low risk of hydric stress. This is also one of their highest vineyards, stretching up as far as around 390 metres above sea level. En Barbi was replanted by the previous farmer and the vines are approximately 15 years old. For several years, Pélican have been vinifying En Barbi separately from the other Chardonnay plots, to taste it as a 'single vineyard' during elevage. In 2016, they finally decided to bottle approximately 300 magnums of En Barbi Chardonnay on its own. A tiny allocation was made available only to the US and, we are glad to say, the UK. As of 2018 En Barbi Chardonnay is being released worldwide in bottles and magnums. Owing to the small crop, no foudres or vats were used for elevage, only 350L and 500L barrels.