2020 Chablis

As ever, this is the pinnacle of the Droin wines, and one of the finest grand cru cuvées in Chablis. Benoît says it will need 20 years to reach its peak. I’ll keep my drink dates a little earlier, though I’ve no doubt the wine could peak at 20 years if you have the patience. It is so tight and nervous, with power bubbling beneath the still surface. The special name of this cuvée is in celebration of Louis Droin, who bought this parcel in 1920.

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.

Mont de Milieu, the mountain in the middle, historically marked the frontier between Burgundy and Champagne. It has a south-facing aspect - rare in Chablis - and this wine expresses the flamboyant side of Chardonnay grown in a sunny spot in a cool climate. The old vines have produced a wine bursting with apricots and peaches; it’s like the fruit has been supercharged here. On the palate there is a pronounced chalky freshness which wraps around the gourmand fruit. This is so intense, salty, tense, but fleshy.

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.

2020 is a rare stay of execution for the Blanchots cuvée: it was all but wiped out by the frost in 2019, and in 2021 the vines have been grubbed up for replanting, so we won’t see it again for 5 to 6 years at least. Do not miss it in 2020. It is a beautifully subtle expression of the vintage; there’s lots of green apple on the nose and the palate is delicate and classy. There is no artifice here, it is purity and finesse in the glass.

Droin’s Vosgros is always one of the most striking and characterful wines at the domaine. Like Vaucopin, it is vinified and raised in stainless steel. But where the Vaucoupin is steely and straight, this has a richer volume, twinned with delicious purity. It shows lightly petrol-like notes on the nose, and has wonderful intensity on the palate, with lemon verbena and orange pith notes.

This premier cru on the right bank, i.e, the same side as the grand cru, is a masterclass in finesse over volume. It has brilliant tension and an enticing floral nose. It is vinified and aged exclusively in stainless steel, and if you’re looking for that cut-glass clarity from your Chablis, this is a great choice: flinty, taut, with citrus zing and floral lift.

Montmains is on the slope of the left bank, snuggled right up next to Vaillons, but has deeper clay soils, and typically produces a rounder wine with more weight. It’s really quite ‘bourguignon’ in style, as in, it wouldn’t be impossible to mistake it for something from the Côte d’Or if tasting blind, but that little kick of oyster shell that whips around the fruit gives it away as Chablis. Utterly charming. 30% aged in oak.

This is a blend of five terroirs across the steep Vaillons premier cru. Blending gives Benoît the chance to introduce freshness, with higher acid fruit running through the riper parcels. There is a great interplay between these two elements of freshness and ripeness in 2020. The fruit was picked early, so the warm site’s character is expressed as a perfumed, almost decadent floral character. 25% was fermented and aged in old oak, and the wine has a classical balance and huge appeal in its youth. It will age too, but that’s only if you can resist it early on, when it just looks so good.

Vaudésir sits at the top of the grand cru hill, and enjoys a steep incline, making it one of the sunnier spots in the grand cru. This 2020 has so much precision and density, with an elegant perfume giving it surprising accessibility in youth. The palate has a great texture, with stone fruit concentration laced with grilled nuts. This will drink well from early on, though its drinking window should not be underestimated.