Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2024 Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin | Burgundy

The Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons from the Jean Paul and Benoit Droin wine estate is one of the many Chablis Premier Cru wines the estate produces. Its main distinctive feature is thatthe Chardonnay grapes come from five different climats: Epinottes, Roncières, Séchet, Chatains, and Beugnons. These five climats all share the same geological characteristic: they are all situated on deep Kimmeridgian limestone with heavy clay on the surface. What sets them apart from one another is their exposure and the proportion of clay on the surface—and nothing else. It is this sense of terroir unity that gives the Vaillons Premier Cru its complexity.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin: The Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons is a wine I’m particularly fond of. It’s one of the appellation’s classics. It’s an unrivaled Chablis that reveals floral, salty, and iodine-like notes in its youth. As it ages, menthol notes emerge alongside an intensification of minerality. A superb Chablis Premier Cru, one of the best alongside the famous Montée de Tonnerre. Winemaking is always executed to perfection at the Jean-Paul and Benoit Droin wine estate—no surprises here; it’s a great Chablis Premier Cru.

The nose opens with floral notes of honeysuckle and star anise, along with a hint of chamomile. Citrus notes are also prominent, especially when young, with hints of mandarin and pink grapefruit.

The palate is crisp from the first sip; the texture is rich and indulgent, yet always supported by a backbone of acidity. Mineral notes gradually emerge, bringing a beautiful harmony to the whole. The finish reveals a hint of salinity that lends the wine a lovely length on the palate.