Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin : Chablis 1er cru "Montée de Tonnerre" 2023

This exquisite wine enchants with a complex nose of lime peel, gooseberry and pear with hints of smoky reduction and a salty mineral edge. The wine is dense and compact, and its weight is perfectly balanced by racy acidity. The grapes are from 1.76ha in the blue clay soils of the Côte de Bréchain. They are crushed and fermented in tank and cask (25%). In the view of Benoît Droin, this is a 'super premier cru' – grand cru-adjacent, like Chambolle Amoureuses and Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques.

The 2023 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru has a more austere bouquet of light fumé notes mixed with petrichor—more uncompromising aromatics than the Vaulorent, one for hardcore Chablis lovers. The palate is taut and fresh, showing good body and density. Very pure, with a strict and persistent finish. Excellent.

Aromas of citrus blossom, orange oil, white flowers, iodine and honey introduce the 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre, a medium- to full-bodied, satiny and layered wine that's rich and dense. It's a strong effort with good cellaring potential.