Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin : Chablis 1er cru "Vaillons" 2023

Characteristics and tasting notes for Chablis 1er Cru "Vaillons" 2023 Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin

Tasting

Colour
The colour reveals a pale yellow hue with light green highlights typical of its grape variety.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet opens with notes of white flowers such as hawthorn and acacia, mingled with marine and iodine-like scents. Aromas of white-fleshed fruit (peach, pear, green apple) and citrus then emerge, underlined by subtle mineral touches of flint and chalk.

Palate
On the palate, the wine offers a smooth, silky texture, supported by lovely liveliness. Flavours of orchard fruit and candied citrus balance out with a pronounced minerality, leading to a lingering finish with floral and mineral accents.

Food and wine pairing

This white wine pairs perfectly with seafood, such as oysters, scallops, smoked salmon or grilled fish. It also goes very well with regional cheeses, green vegetable dishes (asparagus, artichokes) or a light roast poultry.

Service and storage

This Chablis 1er Cru "Vaillons" 2023 can be enjoyed young for its freshness, but it has the structure needed to age in the cellar for 5 to 10 years, or even until around 2043, allowing more complex tertiary aromas to develop.

Other characteristics

This vin de France has a moderate alcohol content of 13%.

The classic, mineral expression of an emblematic Chablis terroir

The estate

The Droin family's winemaking history in Burgundy dates back to 1547, although the estate was officially founded in 1620. Today, Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin is run by Benoît Droin, alongside Catherine Droin as general manager. Spanning 26 hectares, the estate stands out for its sustainable farming approach, respectful of the soil and the environment. The domaine is renowned for its mastery of the various Chablis terroirs, producing wines that are true to their appellation with very moderate use of oak.

The vineyard

The vineyard from which this Chablis originates is a blend of five named plots covering 4.82 hectares. The vines, with an average age of 45 years, benefit from a south and southeast exposure favourable to early ripening. They thrive on shallow soils of Kimmeridgian limestone, rich in marine fossils, which give the wine its characteristic minerality.

The vintage

2023 ranks among the warmest vintages observed in the region, even surpassing the temperatures of 2022. This exceptional heat allowed the grapes to reach perfect physiological ripeness, yielding rich berries while preserving the freshness essential to the appellation's identity.

Winemaking and aging

After manual and mechanical harvesting, the grapes undergo gentle pneumatic pressing. The must is then cold-settled before fermentation with indigenous yeasts, split between stainless steel tanks and a small proportion of French oak barrels (around 5%). A systematic malolactic fermentation is carried out. This Chablis 1er Cru "Vaillons" 2023 is then aged for 8 to 10 months before blending, followed by a light filtration.

Grape variety

Chardonnay