2020 Chablis

Séchet is a lieu dit within the Vaillons premier cru, which is prized for its floral, mineral, and delicate power. These old vines had belonged to his grandmother, and are now aged between 60 and 80 years. It is tightly coiled on the nose, a little shy at first, but slowly unfurling into one of the most complex and complete wines in Samuel’s cellar.

Samuel’s Montée de Tonnerre is a blend of two parcels, one of which lies alongside that of Raveneau’s. It has a wonderfully spicy scent, reminiscent of ginger. The palate is savoury and taut, with a tingling freshness on the finish.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This is the most prized vineyard in Chablis, and with good reason. The wine has a level of intensity and precision that is only possible with fruit of impeccable quality. It has a whisper of smoke on the nose, and the promise of complex evolution as this ages.

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.