"Chablis can do the classics. What it seemed to lack until recently, however, was a certain type of hip new producer, like those who have reinvigorated other French wine regions...making wine that sometimes challenges the powers that be and prompts everyone to question long-held assumptions.

Enter Mr. Pico..." - New York Times

I've never written a full email about Thomas Pico of Domaine Pattes Loup, and honestly I'm not sure why. Because in person, I can't stop talking about how good these wines are to anyone who will listen to me, although I usually don't have to say much once someone has a glass of this Chablis in their hands.

To put it simply, Pattes Loup is probably my favourite estate in Chablis because Pico works in a way that few others even dare to try:

• He prunes aggressively and waits until late in the harvest to pick his grapes, giving greater concentration, ripeness, and fruit to his Chardonnay.
• He hand-picks his grapes, choosing only the best for his wines, in a region where most producers use tractors. His grapes are biodynamically grown, certified organic, and bottled with minimal amounts of sulphur. Let's just say that isn't common, or easy to do, in Chablis.
• He doesn't filter or fine his grapes, so don't be alarmed if you see dead yeasts (known as lees) drifting around the bottom of the bottle.

Today we offer up two wines from his 2010 vintage. Vent d'Ange 2010 is new for us, which is interesting because we decided last year to sell his 2011's first. They were more crisp, lean, and ready, whereas these needed time to develop.

We tried one from our warehouse last week and without a doubt, after five years these are totally ready to enjoy. Good Chablis always deserves and will reward aging.

“I could earn a lot more money if I did mechanical harvesting. If I used pesticides and herbicides, I could even take a vacation. But I like my work.” - Thomas Pico

We have 26 bottles of this beauty, which we've been waiting patiently to mature. Mineral, saline, pure, and rich. Perfect for this summer.

We have 24 bottles left of this scorching premier cru Chablis. It showcases Pico's mastery of the 2010 vintage, which was one of the best in recent history. Almost tropical on the nose, yet it never strays too far from its roots - undoubtedly this is the mineral, vibrant Chablis we all love, just with a twist.