Chablis 2018

The monopole of Long Depaquit in the heart of the Grands Crus, this is the most Côte de Beaune-like Chablis we know. Silky, explosive, with tons of minerality, it remains a benchmark.

Always incredibly fast to sell, this is a brilliant Clos from Long Depaquit. Focussed, saline, and very textured, there’s crushed rocks and lemon oil here. A great buy.

This is very reserved and reticent at the moment, with so much minerality and focus. Powerful, this is a wine that will need time to come around. When it does, it will be one for the ages.

Sunny and open, there are floral notes and plenty of intense citrus fruit. This is finessed, charming, and impressively long.

One of the best village Chablis out there, this has plenty of tension and drive, but with a beautifully ripe core of grapefruit and fresh oranges. Lovely texture on the long finish. Blind, you'd call this Premier Cru.

Notes of wild flowers and crushed rocks on the nose of this delicate, soaring Grand Cru. Notes of iodine and orange blossom on the palate complete the picture. This will be approachable much earlier than some.

Montee de Tonnerre is usually considered the closest premier cru to the grands crus, and with showings like this, we can see why. Elegant and refined, yet with stunning depth, there's really remarkable precision here. This is rippling with energy - in five years, it will blow you away.

Intense and pure, with notes of wild, herbal honey, and also a generosity of fruit. There's salinity here alongside breadth of fruit, which gets you salivating. A brilliant premier cru.

An intense, powerful Grand Cru, the Valmur in 2018 doesn't disappoint. Plenty of grip on the palate, with ripe oranges, and a hint of exotic spice, too. There's fresh ginger that unfurls on the finish. Complex, and totally delicious.

West facing part of Bougros, this is the Grand Cru to discover Chablis. Really generous, with oyster shell but also orange pith and plenty of nectarine and white peaches. Quite rich and powerful, and nice salinity on the finish. Very finely judged - but nice and opulent too.

This is so much more than its village level suggests. It comes from vines with an average age of 40 years+ planted on the slopes facing Fourchaume. In 2019 Jean-Claude grubbed up 1.40 hectares of the Vieilles Vignes, reducing the volume by a third, so this is the last time we will see the cuvée in this volume for some years to come. It is fresh, citrus, and elegant, but also has that depth of oyster shell brine so typical of Chablis. An outstanding example of the appellation.

The Montmains is aged in oak (none new), and in 2018 it wears its élevage incredibly lightly. A generous apple scent on the nose is followed by a crystalline length on the palate, where citrus pulp and chalky salinity entwine. It is the most forward of Jean-Claude’s premiers crus, and always a transparent window on to the vintage. It should drink well from early on, with its intricate balance between ample fruit and agile freshness. It finishes with a mouthwatering savoury freshness, making you want to go back for more.