2020 Pattes Loup Chablis Vent d’Ange Mise en Tardive, Burgundy

The 2020 Chablis Vent d’Ange has a light bouquet with lemon verbena, and citrus peel touches, just slightly smudged at first but gaining clarity with aeration. The palate is well-balanced with a slightly reduced entry, fine depth, plenty of extract, and a saline finish. Moderate length. Just a hint of blackcurrant leaf on the finish.

90 points Vinous

A late release from Thomas Pico at Pattes Loup, Vent d’Ange shows what patience can do in Chablis. Pico works organically on Kimmeridgian limestone around Courgis, pushing ripeness a touch further in the vineyard and giving the wines extended time on lees, building texture without losing that signature Chablis edge.

The 2020 Mise en Tardive has started to open into something more layered and complete. Aromatics move beyond simple citrus, lemon curd and grapefruit, into ripe orchard fruit, pear and yellow apple, with a hint of quince. There is a clear savoury thread, sea spray, oyster shell and a faint nutty note, alongside a subtle herbal lift that adds complexity.

On the palate it is medium to full bodied for Chablis, with a broader, more textured feel than the classic style, but it is held in line by a firm, saline acidity. Citrus and orchard fruit sit at the core, with lees work bringing a gentle creaminess before the wine tightens again on the finish. That mineral line is unmistakable, long, chalky and precise.

Winemaking is hands off but deliberate, native ferments, extended élevage and a refusal to rush release, allowing the wine to knit together before it reaches the bottle.

This is Chablis that can handle serious food. Think oysters or sashimi for contrast, but it really shines with dishes like grilled lobster with lemon butter, scallops with brown butter and capers, or a rich seafood stew with saffron and herbs. It also works beautifully with something like a prawn and chilli pasta or a classic fish pie, where the wine’s texture and acidity keep everything balanced.

Already showing beautifully with its extra time in bottle, it will continue to evolve over the next ten to fifteen years, gaining more nutty, savoury complexity while holding that strong mineral backbone.