Chablis

Didier Picq has two choice parcels in premier cru Vosgros. The vines range from 40-60 years old. It is raised entirely in stainless steel and produces a wine of intensity and cut-glass freshness.

Vaudésir sits at the top of the grand cru hill, and enjoys a steep incline, making it one of the sunnier spots. It is intense and precise, with a fine, elegant length. It’s got a great texture, with stone fruit concentration laced with grilled hazelnuts. This will drink well early, though its drinking window should not be underestimated.

Samuel 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. Although Samuel does not distinguish within his range, all the fruit here comes from his own vines, i.e. ‘domaine’. Indeed, it’s one of the parcels he was most determined to hang onto after splitting from his family estate in 2009. It is focused and precise, with lemon zest and salty minerality running through it, and a peachy, smooth as silk length.

This is a bright and zingy entry to Samuel’s grand cru range. It is raised half in tank, half in barrel, and blended together after one year. Its fruit-forward palate has a nice open weave, with typical Chablis verve driving through on the finish.

Montmains, this year, includes all the fruit from La Forêt, and has a pure, green-apple persistence and long savoury finish. There is plenty of impact here, with a density of fruit and intensity of structure producing a complete and incisive finish.

Bessin-Tremblay’s Valmur is tremendous value for money. It bursts with citrus and salty aromas. It is edgy, slightly reductive, telling you it will need some time. It’s a reserved grand cru, rather than a flamboyant one, but its still waters run deep.