Droin Chablis Vaillons Premier Cru 2021 – 750ml Winebow

93pts Jasper Morris

Benoît Droin lost the Beugnons and Chatains sectors of Vaillons to the frost. Pale lemon yellow. There is a stony nose, with some reduction There is, though, some flesh on the bones here, especially towards the back, indeed unexpectedly concentrated with a fine crisp finish. Drink from 2025-2030.
Barrel Sample: 90-93

93pts Decanter

Droin have a sizeable 4.8ha of Vaillons, with five plots in Epinottes, Roncieres, Sechet, Chatains and Beugnons. This is always a super reliable blend as Benoit is able to draw on plots which work well in hot and cold vintages. A very fine premier cru with pronounced notes of white flowers, crisp acidity, some generous zesty citrus and a hint of stone fruit. Long and classy.

92pts Burghound

A lightly peppery, airy and cool nose freely offers up floral, white fruit and citrus nuances that exhibit just enough Chablis typicity to confirm where this is from. The plump, round and fleshy flavors possess a hint of natural sweetness that contrasts markedly with clean and bone-dry finish that offers good length but not quite the same complexity.
Barrel Sample: 89-92

Winemaker Notes

The Vaillons is an assemblage of 5 separate “climats” (Epinottes, Roncières, Séchet, Chatains and Beugnons). It is a very classical wine with notes of white flowers and sea air. A very sunny exposure and its valley sheltered from the north winds bring quite early maturity that allows it to be enjoyed from its earliest years. It does not have the habitual austerity of young Chablis wines.

Over time, the wine loses its floral aspect in flavor of tertiary aromas of menthol and oyster shell. It can be matched with all types of sea produce but also with regional cheeses.