Discreet indeed almost invisible wood sets off the dried yellow fruit tidal pool and wet stone suffused nose that gives way to textured and solidly concentrated flavors that are clean crisp and wonderfully mineral-driven while culminating in a bone dry finish.

The Pinson 2008 Chablis Fourchaume comes from a parcel in Vaulorent to which he recently acquired access and I continue to question why growers would for the sake of mere name recognition label a wine from that superb site with the better-known "Fourchaume" that is anything but an advertisement of routinely top-quality. Musky narcissus and shrimp shell on the nose lead into a saliva-inducing palate whose saline secretly sweet shellfish reduction-like mineral cast perfectly complements its ripe peach and citrus. Suggestions of salted grapefruit rind and iodine add additional pungency to the long finish of this substantial yet refreshing cru that ought to prove worth following for 6-8 years. -David Schildknecht