2020 Chablis

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.