2020 Chablis

Valmur is pressed up against Les Clos; the contour of its slope, where much faces northwest, make it slightly cooler than other parts of the grand cru. In 2020 it has made a wine of exotic, tropical intensity, with aromatic pineapple notes. These are offset by the classical oyster shell notes on the palate, and the scintillating line of acidity running through its length.

Benoît’s village Chablis is one of the best (the best?) out there. The 2020 is packed with fruit, and has an energy and persistence that propels it across the palate. Nice chalky freshness, with zingy lift and poised citrus fruit. Outstanding value.

Samuel half jokes that this is ‘Petit Chablis deluxe’. It comes from a parcel just above Grand Cru Les Clos, and is a rare example of Petit Chablis grown on a high proportion of Kimmeridgian, rather than purely Portlandian, limestone. What is no joke is how delicious this is in 2020. It is focused and precise, with lemon zest and salty minerality running through it, and fabulous chalky tension.

This comes from a blend of three parcels, which are picked and vinified separately. Samuel says these three parts contribute complexity, richness, and minerality to the blend. That’s a pretty good combination for a Chablis. It has an impressive depth of fruit with a satisfying weight. Its persistent length is clean-cut and refreshing.

Vaudésir sits high up on the grand cru hill, and is a sunny site whose steep incline catched the sun’s rays. The wine is deceptively full bodied, with power and precision driving through the finish, rather than mid-palate weight. As always, this is a great wine from Samuel.

This comes from three parcels, which are spread across the top, middle, and bottom sections of the premier cru. It is straight and incisive, with a concentrated, saline flicker on the finish. There’s a nice balance between fruit and minerality in this premier cru.

Preuses is famous for its minerality, derived from its chalky soils. In Samuel’s hands it delivers this typicity in spades. It is tense and refined, with a razor-like edge to the acidity. Of all Samuel’s grands crus, this will open up the earliest, giving it an exceptional drinking window that should easily see you through a decade.

Three parcels are blended here, creating a complex and crystalline wine. It has the honour of hosting the domaine’s oldest vines, which were planted in 1936. These add beautiful freshness along with density of fruit. It is restrained, taut, and so long. You are in no doubt of the greatness of this wine when tasting.

2020 is the last year we’ll see Mont de Milieu from Fèvre for a while, as they have decided to replant the old vines. They were so prone to millerandages (small berries) that the yields were decreasing every year, and only struggled to 18hl/ha in 2020. That concentration, however, gives this wine an amazing punch. It has such sophisticated tension and chalky focus, with a weighty green apple mid-palate and long, structured finish. One for the long haul.

40 parcels scattered across 4 hectares go into this blend, from vines with an average age of 50 years. Much of these are grown around Chichee, near Vosgros, and give the quality you might expect in a premier cru. The result is a village Chablis of brilliant precision, with long volume and a saline, fresh finish

William’s father planted some of these vines in 1948. Since then, the domaine has expanded its holdings, and it is now the largest owner of Chablis’ greatest site with over 4 hectares. Lots of their vines are at the top of the hill, in a cool site, where the best soils are found. The wine is saturated in white peach, oyster brine, fennel pollen, and limestone minerality. So complex, powerful, yet so understated in a way. This is truly grand cru in every sense.

This comes from the parcel at the bottom of the slope, by the river. Its soil always lends wines lots of saltiness and minerality, Didier says. The 2020 is incisive and tense, with a piercing saline freshness. Its texture is distinctly dry, perhaps thanks to the saltiness, and there is a green apple density to the midpalate, making it a particularly food-friendly example of Chablis.

Bessin’s Valmur is arguably the best value grand cru in Burgundy. And in spite of its great value, the wine’s potential for ageing should not be underestimated. The 2020 is a densely-packed, green-apple scented, chalky, mineral, and incisive wine well deserving of its grand cru status. This should be magnificent after a decade in the cellar, if you can wait.

Unlike the 2019 that was shy and restrained when tasted from tank, this was bursting with expression. It has electric lime juice energy, with a transcendent purity. This is nervous, savoury, serious - and seriously delicious - classic Chablis.