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

The 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons bursts with aromas of white flowers and peach, followed by a medium- to full-bodied, satiny and suave palate that's pure, seamless and charming.

This delicious wine boasts initial exotic notes of pomelo and melon and opens up to suggest acacia blossom and cream. The texture is creamy and rich, but the wine is not lacking freshness; the extract carries the wine to a lovely lingering finish. The grapes are from 4.82ha spread over five lieux-dits – Vaillons, Séchet, Beugnons, Roncières and Epinottes – lightly crushed and fermented in tank and in cask (25%). The warm microclimates and thin soils here deliver some of the ripest fruit on the left bank.

The 2023 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru has a pretty nose, more floral with dandelion scents infusing the lemon and orange pith aromas—quintessential Vaillons really. The palate is slightly lower in acidity than the 2022—fine depth and with a slightly powdery texture on the finish. Drink over the next 4–5 years.