Jean-Marc Brocard Montee de Tonnerre, Chablis Premier Cru, France

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The 2017 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre is another of Brocard's more reserved wines, unfurling in the glass with notes of citrus zest, green apple and wet stones. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and delicately textural, with tangy acids and a tight-knit core, concluding with a somewhat fleeting finish that depresses my score.

The 2016 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre is more reserved than the Vaulorent, offering up a reticent bouquet of lemon oil and green apple. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, glossy and textural on the attack, but it isn't especially concentrated and concludes with a somewhat ephemeral finish. It's an attractive Chablis, but it will never rank as a profound example of Montée de Tonnerre.

The 2012 Chablis 1er Cru Montee de Tonnerre, which is raised in stainless steel, offers fresh Alpine streams on the nose that is natural and refined, opening with aeration to reveal a hint of butterscotch. The palate is taut and linear, a serious Chablis that perhaps just needs a little more weight and depth toward the finish. As such, it feels as if it pulls up just a tad prematurely compared to the more satisfying Vau de Vey. Drink now-2019. I arrived in Jean-Marc Brocard's winery with an ominous storm brewing on the horizon and hurried inside before the imminent deluge. In this capacious winery I met Julien Brocard, accompanied by cellar-master Odile Van der Moere. Julien explained the history of the winery based in Prehy that started from a single hectare owned by his father-in-law Emile Petit in the early 1970s. This was back in the days when land was far cheaper and Credit Agricole gave many young aspiring winemakers a helping financial hand. There's a bit more than one hectare under vine nowadays, with a successful negociant business running alongside. Its size has not stopped this producer from applying Rudolf Steiner's tenets in the vineyard. "We started with biodynamics in 1997 because I wanted to understand more about the diseases, to understand the causes," he explained. "There are around 200 hectares in total, of which half is organic or biodynamic, though they are processes that we are still learning about. We buy in a little fruit for the regional wines and some for the grand crus, except for Les Preuses, which is our own vineyard. We use natural yeasts and never force the malolactic." Julien told me that the 2012 crop was picked from September 26 until around October 12. I have been tasting Brocard's wines in the UK for a number of years and find that they tend to be rather laconic in their youth and repay those willing to cellar for three of four years, testified by a couple of older bottles that I tasted after the 2012s. (Readers should note the discrete significance of the labels. Those sporting a ladybird are organic and those with the moon are biodynamic.) Importer: several regional importers Verity Wine Partners (NY), Susan Chambers (LA), Elite Wine (Washington) and Berkmann Wine Cellars in UK.

Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. The Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2011 has a little more intensity on the exotic nose compared to the first two wines of this flight (which turned out to be from Fran?ois Raveneau!) with citrus lemon, granite and fumé aromas that waft with increasing vigor from the glass. The palate is voluminous in the mouth, quite concentrated, with touches of cumin and white pepper lacing the vibrant and demonstrative finish. Excellent.

The 2010 Chablis Montee de Tonnerre is initially quite big and rich, but then finds its minerality on the mid-palate and finish. Lemon, white flowers, oyster shells and crushed rocks are some of the many nuances that flesh out in the glass. The 2010 is quite good, but I find myself wanting the sheer visceral thrill that the best wines from this site deliver. Anticipated maturity: 2013+. These 2011s and 2010s from the vast Brocard portfolio (which also includes Domaine Herve Azo) are quite representative of the respective years. The 2010s have excellent depth of fruit and acidity, while the 2011s are pretty, easygoing wines best suited to near-term drinking. In general terms, the Brocard wines tend to be fairly bold and up-front in style. Importers: Verity Wine Partners, New York, NY; tel. (212) 683-8763, Chambers & Chambers, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 642-5500, Elite Wines, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 526-6383, Vanguard Wines, Columbus, OH; tel. (614) 291-3493, Tenzing Wine & Spirits, Chicago, IL; tel. (312) 237-4000