Laurent Tribut, Chablis Premier Cru, Beauroy 2022 - 75cl
Laurent Tribut married into the most exacting family in Chablis — his wife, Marie-Clotilde, is Vincent Dauvissat's sister, and for years Tribut made his wine in the Dauvissat cellars before setting up in the village of Poinchy. That lineage matters, because of all the growers working in Chablis today, Tribut is the one whose style sits closest to Dauvissat's: hand-harvested fruit, fermentation in enamelled tanks, and only a light touch of old oak. Nothing new, nothing showy. The point is transparency to the site.
Beauroy is a premier cru on the left bank of the Serein, and in Tribut's hands it comes through with real clarity. The 2022 has an oyster-shell bouquet — that unmistakable Chablis salinity — with ripe pear and white peach behind it and a curl of white pepper. It is a broader, more generous vintage than the taut 2021, so there is flesh here, but the mineral backbone holds it all upright and the finish turns fiery and peppery. Precise without being austere.
You can drink this now with pleasure, though it will reward five to eight years in the cellar as the fruit settles and the stony core comes forward. Pull the cork when you want white Burgundy that tastes of somewhere specific rather than of the barrel it sat in.
How to Serve
Serve at 10-12°C in a white Burgundy glass — served too cold, a wine this detailed goes mute. A decant isn't necessary, but a young bottle opens beautifully across the evening, so pour early and revisit.
Where to Drink It
The River Cafe in Hammersmith, where the cooking has the precision to match it. Noble Rot Mayfair for a serious Burgundy list and a room that takes Chablis seriously. Bentley's for native oysters, which is where this wine truly belongs.
Food Pairings
Oysters, without hesitation — the salinity in the glass and the brine on the plate are made for each other. If you want something warm, a whole roast turbot with beurre blanc.
