2020 Chablis

Mont de Milieu, the mountain in the middle, historically marked the frontier between Burgundy and Champagne. It has a south-facing aspect - rare in Chablis - and this wine expresses the flamboyant side of Chardonnay grown in a sunny spot in a cool climate. The old vines have produced a wine bursting with apricots and peaches; it’s like the fruit has been supercharged here. On the palate there is a pronounced chalky freshness which wraps around the gourmand fruit. This is so intense, salty, tense, but fleshy.

As ever, this is the pinnacle of the Droin wines, and one of the finest grand cru cuvées in Chablis. Benoît says it will need 20 years to reach its peak. I’ll keep my drink dates a little earlier, though I’ve no doubt the wine could peak at 20 years if you have the patience. It is so tight and nervous, with power bubbling beneath the still surface. The special name of this cuvée is in celebration of Louis Droin, who bought this parcel in 1920.

Benoît’s village Chablis is one of the best (the best?) out there. The 2020 is packed with fruit, and has an energy and persistence that propels it across the palate. Nice chalky freshness, with zingy lift and poised citrus fruit. Outstanding value.

This is a blend of five terroirs across the steep Vaillons premier cru. Blending gives Benoît the chance to introduce freshness, with higher acid fruit running through the riper parcels. There is a great interplay between these two elements of freshness and ripeness in 2020. The fruit was picked early, so the warm site’s character is expressed as a perfumed, almost decadent floral character. 25% was fermented and aged in old oak, and the wine has a classical balance and huge appeal in its youth. It will age too, but that’s only if you can resist it early on, when it just looks so good.

Vaudésir sits high up on the grand cru hill, and is a sunny site whose steep incline catched the sun’s rays. The wine is deceptively full bodied, with power and precision driving through the finish, rather than mid-palate weight. As always, this is a great wine from Samuel.

This old vine cuvée takes the prize for ‘hidden gem’ of our Chablis range. It comes from 40- to almost 70-year-old vines scattered across seven parcels, with a variety of soil structures and exposures. It is mineral, zingy, lime-fresh and intense, with great drive and depth. Plenty of dry extract gives the palate a serious weight even though this is, like the rest of the Bessin range, only carrying moderate alcohol. The fullness of the wine comes from the intensity of fruit, rather than its ripeness. This may be a wine of humble communal classification, but it has a profound character, and deserves special attention.

Unlike the 2019 that was shy and restrained when tasted from tank, this was bursting with expression. It has electric lime juice energy, with a transcendent purity. This is nervous, savoury, serious - and seriously delicious - classic Chablis.

Bessin’s Valmur is arguably the best value grand cru in Burgundy. And in spite of its great value, the wine’s potential for ageing should not be underestimated. The 2020 is a densely-packed, green-apple scented, chalky, mineral, and incisive wine well deserving of its grand cru status. This should be magnificent after a decade in the cellar, if you can wait.