Chablis 1er Cru Vaucoupin 2023 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin | Burgundy

Away from North Burgundy's most renowned hillsides, Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin 's Chablis 1er Cru Vaucoupin delivers a more discreet but particularly demanding version of the Chablis vineyard. The geological configuration of this gently sloping plateau on shallow Kimmeridgian marl soils, combined with a westerly exposure, favors slow ripening and a very taut expression of Chardonnay. On Domaine Droin's 0.14-hectare micro-parcel, the unbroken slab subsoil makes the work particularly arduous, forcing the almost 40-year-old vines to extend their roots. After hand-harvesting, winemaking begins with pneumatic pressing, followed by spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel vats and barrels, then complete malolactic fermentation. Ageing continues for 8 to 10 months in vats and barrels before final blending.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin 's Chablis Premier Cru Vaucoupin embodies the verticality of Chablis wines, with a deceptively austere facet in youth. Its marked acid structure and assertive minerality make this wine an archetypal Chablis Chardonnay. A Chablis 1er Cru with a resolutely incisive profile, destined to reveal its full potential over time!

On the nose, the wine frankly expresses the mineral essence of its terroir, with notes of wet stone, crushed chalk and flint. After a fine oxygenation, aromas of lemon zest, kumquat and white flowers appear, faintly sketched between iodized notes of oyster shell. The overall impression is one of great purity and a chiselled profile.

On the palate, the wine's impressive verticality structures an unexpected power of substance. The surge of acidity makes the minerality of the vintage vibrate with dazzling purity. There's the mineral sapidity of chalk and oyster shell, while lemony and saline flavors come together perfectly on a fresh finish.