Drouhin Vaudon : Chablis 1er Cru 2021

Tasting characteristics and advice for the 2021 Chablis Premier Cru from Drouhin Vaudon

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a bright green-tinged yellow hue, characteristic of high-quality young Chablis.

Nose

The nose unveils a distinctly Chablis-style bouquet, dominated by citrus aromas—especially lemon—joined by notes of green fern and mineral touches reminiscent of gunflint.

Palate

The attack is lively and fresh, with a pleasant texture and a precise mineral feel. The finish stands out for its remarkable length, where fruity and mineral flavors intertwine and linger long on the palate. With aeration, the wine gains in complexity and gradually develops a subtle hint of honey. Overall, it expresses a racy, dry character typical of Chablis, with fine tension and a distinctly mineral finish.

Food and wine pairings

This Chablis Premier Cru pairs perfectly with seafood and shellfish, especially oysters. It also elegantly complements simply prepared white fish, grilled or steamed, as well as aged goat cheeses.

Serving and cellaring

For optimal expression, serve the 2021 Chablis 1er Cru at a temperature between 12 and 13°C. This wine can be enjoyed now but will continue to evolve until around 2031.

A generous and silky Chablis Premier Cru

The estate

Founded in 1968 by Robert Drouhin, the Drouhin Vaudon estate now spans thirty-eight hectares of vineyards in Chablis, in Burgundy. Based at the Moulin de Vaudon, an 18th-century watermill that straddles the Serein, the estate is run by the fourth generation of the Drouhin family: Philippe, Véronique, Laurent and Frédéric. A pioneer of biodynamics in Chablis, Drouhin Vaudon is recognized as the largest estate in the appellation to have fully converted to this farming practice. The estate also stands out for its deliberately reduced yields—twenty percent below the permitted standards—prioritizing quality over quantity.

The vineyard

The estate’s vineyards are located in the Vauvillien valley, a natural corridor of vines in the immediate vicinity of the Grands Crus of Chablis, between the Premier Crus Montée de Tonnerre and Mont de Milieu. The terroir rests on the famous Kimmeridgian limestone, made up of billions of tiny marine fossils from the Upper Jurassic, around one hundred and thirty million years ago. These marine-origin soils give the wines their distinctive minerality and characteristic subtle salinity. Chardonnay, the only grape variety authorized in the appellation, thrives on these exceptional terroirs farmed biodynamically.

The vintage

The 2021 vintage in Bourgogne was shaped by exceptional climatic challenges. After a relatively mild autumn and winter, a devastating frost struck the vineyards on the night of April 5, with temperatures dropping to -7°C. This spring frost wiped out between 50 and 100% of the potential harvest in the chardonnay plots. Despite this stress, the vegetative cycle resumed at the end of April. June was hot and dry, promoting a rapid, ideal flowering. July saw less sunshine than normal with a few thunderstorms, while August remained relatively dry. The first half of September benefited from clear, summery weather, before rains returned in the second half. These conditions delivered correct ripeness with a fine acidic balance, producing elegant, harmonious white wines in a classically Burgundian style.

Vinification and aging

The 2021 Chablis 1er Cru is a harmonious blend of different Premier Cru parcels located on both sides of the Serein, including Roncières, Mont de Milieu, Montée de Tonnerre and Moireins. Each parcel is harvested and vinified separately before the final blending, creating a cuvée of greater complexity in which each Climat contributes its own mineral and flavor identity. Vinification favors a low-intervention approach in order to preserve the fullest expression of the terroir and the grapes’ natural freshness.

Grape variety

100% chardonnay