This could be from nowhere else but Chablis with its pungent aromas of oyster shell, mineral reduction, algae, white flowers and citrus rind. There is even better complexity to the delicious, intense and delineated medium weight flavors that also display profuse minerality on the saliva-inducing finish that really fans out as it sits on the palate. Worth considering.
Rich and round, offering good cut to the lemon, apple and floral aromas and flavors. Harmonious, lingering with a refreshing finish.
Pale, bright yellow. Very ripe but slightly muted aromas of citrus fruits, white pepper, honey and oatmeal. Quite concentrated but comes across as a bit youthfully aggressive and dry following the set of 2016s here, offering flavors of grapefruit, lemon drop and minerals. Offers noteworthy inner-mouth tension and dusty minerality but this citrussy premier cru will need time to harmonize in bottle. Didier Séguier bottled the 2015 crus in December of 2016 and January of this year.
The 2014 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons comes from 3.5 hectares located in the heart of Vaillons and it is where William Fevre's harvest always begins since it's one of the earliest maturing parcels. It has a leesy, well-defined nose with plenty of green apple and citrus fruit. The palate is more rounded in the mouth, especially compared to the Montmains, harmonious and I suspect it will be more approachable than many of Fevre's 14s. This is fine and should drink well over the next 5 to 7 years.
The 2015 Vaillons from the domaine is a touch more fruit-driven in personality than the lovely Montmains this year, though still with a fine vein of chalkiness running from stern to aft. The bouquet delivers a lovely blend of pear, tangerine, chalky soil tones and a topnote of orange blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and really rock solid at the core, with impressively racy acidity, lovely focus and balance and a long, vibrant finish.
This is a rich, round and full-bodied wine with smooth, creamy apple and pear
flavors. It is cut through with zingy lemon acidity and a touch of honey. The structure comes from a cool line of lemon zest, minerality and a tight, taut
aftertaste.
Pale, green-tinged yellow. Smells riper than the Montmains but also displays pungently fresh iodiney minerality. Densely packed and sweet, with youthful grapefruit and pineapple flavors dominated on the back end by the strong iodiney minerality. Very firm but not austere, this superb premier cru saturates the mouth without leaving any impression of excess weight. Built to age.
Pale yellow, a bit deeper than the Montmains. Fruit-driven aromas of ripe grapefruit and fresh pineapple. Sweet and rich on the palate; rounder than the Montmains but also nicely saline and minerally. Finishes almost austere, with lovely grip, verve and length. A very serious Vaillons. "This wine gets more minerally with time in bottle," notes Seguier, "like Vaudésir."
There’s a buzz of limestone coursing through this wine, elevating the meaty, umami intensity into something light and airy. Sweet lemon and cooler, zesty grapefruit notes make it tight and mouthwatering, while the ripeness of the fruit feels juicy and bold. This is a wine that brings food to mind, with panelist suggestions ranging from roast chicken or pork chops to veal meatballs.
Lots of honeysuckle and flowers in the nose. Full body, very, very fine and long. Wonderful acid and fruit balance.
