Chablis Premier Cru

From 60-year-old vines, the nose offers citrus and floral notes. After the initial zesty kick, this becomes more expansive on the mid-palate, tightening up again with an unerring finish of chalk, lemon and salinity. Drink 2020-2026.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

The legendary Louis Pinson himself retired in 1983, having made some fabulous oldstyle Chablis. His great-grand-daughter, Charlène, along with her father Laurent and her uncle Christophe are now in charge. There is a Rue Pinson in Chablis, dating back to an earlier generation when three Pinson brothers lived in identical houses on the street. Everything is hand-harvested, with sorting of the grapes both in the vineyard and at the winery. The wines are wild-fermented, mostly in stainless steel tanks, before barrel ageing, with the proportion of oak depending on the cuvée. Despite describing 2016 as a testing year, Laurent Pinson and his daughter Charlène are upbeat, declaring themselves very happy with the quality of the grapes and resultant wines. Volumes are down in many cases, and the limited-production Cuvée Mademoiselle has not been made this year.

The frost meant that there are only three barrels of this in 2016, as opposed to the usual five. As ever with Vaillons, there is a good level of richness – Laurent describes it as “gourmand” – but underpinned by tension and nervosity. A chalky texture provides a cleansing freshness to the finish, along with a touch of spicy oak which will integrate further with time in bottle.

Mont-de-Milieu is the Pinson family’s largest holding of the Premiers Crus and consequently something of a flagship wine. The nose shows a little of its oak élevage at present, along with subtle wafts of noble reduction. There is a wonderful concentration of fruit, beautifully intertwined with cool, marine notes. A harmonious wine with great finesse and elegance. Drink 2020-2026.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

The legendary Louis Pinson himself retired in 1983, having made some fabulous oldstyle Chablis. His great-grand-daughter, Charlène, along with her father Laurent and her uncle Christophe are now in charge. There is a Rue Pinson in Chablis, dating back to an earlier generation when three Pinson brothers lived in identical houses on the street. Everything is hand-harvested, with sorting of the grapes both in the vineyard and at the winery. The wines are wild-fermented, mostly in stainless steel tanks, before barrel ageing, with the proportion of oak depending on the cuvée. Despite describing 2016 as a testing year, Laurent Pinson and his daughter Charlène are upbeat, declaring themselves very happy with the quality of the grapes and resultant wines. Volumes are down in many cases, and the limited-production Cuvée Mademoiselle has not been made this year.

With a fine, pale colour, the nose is restrained in youth, but there is a delicious wealth of fruit on the palate, folded into a rich background and finishing in fresh style. This is a very stylish bottling of Fourchaume. Drink 2019-2023.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Visiting the domaine during the 2015 harvest, we found Margaux Laroche beaming like a cat with two tails. The storm which had dropped hail over other vineyards had merely provided much needed water for their Fourchaume vines. The grapes badly needed the extra juice which the rains provided, and the extra hang time allowed for them to assimilate the water usefully and then regain their equilibrium behind. The resulting wines are terrific.

This blends the 1937-planted Ardillier fruit, along with L’Homme Mort and Fourchaume, with around a quarter raised in oak. The concentration of the reduced yield shines through, yet does not make the wine unbalanced. It is powerful, with a creamy, supple texture, and a simmering undercurrent of energetic minerals. Incredible persistence. Drink 2021-2026.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

Having stepped down from the company which bears his name, Michel Laroche has, along with his daughters, launched a small domaine based on their family vineyards, named after Michel’s father Henri. Their principal holdings are in Premier Cru Fourchaume, especially a Vieilles Vignes cuvée from 47-year-old vines in L’Homme Mort and an Héritage cuvée, which comes from the oldest parcel (planted in 1937) in the lieu-dit of l’Ardillier. At an average of just 13hl/ha, Michel Laroche described this as the worst vintage – in volume terms – that he has seen in 50 years. Fourchaume, where the family has the vast majority of its Premier Cru holdings, was particularly badly hit by both frost and hail. As a result, they have made a single “super-cuvée” of Fourchaume, including the estate’s oldest vines.

The aromas here are open with heady notes of peaches intertwined with classic Chablis minerality. The palate is initially rich with white stone fruit, but cleansing acidity builds from the mid-palate to tame any hedonistic tendencies. Despite this, it is clearly the most open and accessible wine of the Louis Michel range, and consequently one for earlier drinking. 

This cuvée comes from a 1.6-hectare plot of vines which suffer from Cournouaille virus and consequently always produce very small yields. The aromatic palette here is built upon citrus fruit, with invigorating notes of zesty lemon and lime. In the mouth the character is one of sizzling freshness, but remarkably open and without austerity – restrained rather than powerful, but with incredible length. The subsoil here is Kimmeridgian with very shallow topsoil, and the mineral thread which runs through the wine speaks clearly of this.

Twenty-five percent barrel-fermented, this comes from the best part of Fourchaume. It has a beautiful perfume, with notes of orange oil and exotic spices. Weighty and caressing, but with a core of limestone freshness that is unmistakably Chablis. Drink 2021-2026.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

The Droins have been producing wines in Chablis for nearly 400 years (their history as vignerons goes back at least to 1620). Benoît represents the 14th generation, having taken over from his father Jean-Paul. The domaine owns 13 hectares of vineyards and produces 14 different wines, including seven Premiers Crus and five Grands Crus. Benoît runs a sophisticated operation from a large modern winery almost in the shadow of the Grands Crus. He has revised his pruning system and significantly reduced yields; while in the cellar the principal change has been away from new oak. Visiting Benoît Droin in spring 2017 was a sobering affair; row upon row of stainless steel tanks stood empty, their doors hanging open as a stark reminder of the damage caused by the frost and twin hailstorms of the nightmarish 2016 vintage. Despite making just half his normal crop, Benoît remained philosophical and announced himself delighted with the vintage, explaining that he feels there is greater concentration and better balance than the sunnier 2015s. Unfortunately, there is no Fourchaume this year.

A wine which draws you in from the first whiff of oyster shell, there is a wonderful concentration of yellow fruit here, with plenty of power and energy. It is dense and weighty but not remotely heavy, thanks to the fine core of acidity. Drink 2020-2026.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

This domaine, based in the heart of Chablis, dates back to 1850. Prior to 1970 all the wines were fermented and matured in old oak barrels; by 1980 the old oak had been thrown out and the domaine had switched entirely to stainless steel. Today, it is run by Guillaume Gicqueteau-Michel and comprises 25 hectares of vineyards, mainly Premier and Grand Cru. It remains the byword for unoaked Chablis. Once again quantities are very small this year; in fact, 2016 is the smallest vintage Guillaume has ever made. As a longstanding customer, we have been looked after, however, with only the Clos and Grenouilles significantly down on 2015 volumes. Guillaume feels that this is a classic vintage for Chablis, and one which allows each individual terroir to shine through clearly. Despite the challenges of the vintage, this is an excellent range of wines which display great typicity.

This comes from two plots – Chapelot and the 90-yearold Cartes – this year, rather than the usual three, as the Pargues was hailed completely. This is very classic Chablis on the nose, while the palate has gorgeous concentration and purity, with a saline, marine finish. Punches above the weight of a normal village wine. Drink 2020-2024.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

The brilliantly talented Samuel Billaud was finding family politics hard going, so he founded his own wine label in Chablis separate from Domaine Billaud-Simon. However with the sale of Domaine BillaudSimon to Faiveley in 2014, Samuel has got back a proportion of the vineyards for himself. Whether from domaine sources or purchased grapes, Samuel Billaud’s wines demonstrate his exceptional talent. Samuel feels that 2016 is very close in style to the outstanding 2014 vintage, and says that the concentrating effect of hail and frost early in the season, along with the cool ripening period has given a good balance of matière and acidity. This is a very promising set of wines which will gain in weight and complexity with élevage. Samuel is undoubtedly making some of the finest wines in Chablis.

Thirty percent barrel-fermented, the nose alone is a joy, with aromas of lemon, smoke and just a touch of bacon fat. On the palate, the wine shifts shape, morphing from rich fruit, through zesty lemon to finish on smoke and toasted almonds. Drink 2021-2027.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

The Droins have been producing wines in Chablis for nearly 400 years (their history as vignerons goes back at least to 1620). Benoît represents the 14th generation, having taken over from his father Jean-Paul. The domaine owns 13 hectares of vineyards and produces 14 different wines, including seven Premiers Crus and five Grands Crus. Benoît runs a sophisticated operation from a large modern winery almost in the shadow of the Grands Crus. He has revised his pruning system and significantly reduced yields; while in the cellar the principal change has been away from new oak. Visiting Benoît Droin in spring 2017 was a sobering affair; row upon row of stainless steel tanks stood empty, their doors hanging open as a stark reminder of the damage caused by the frost and twin hailstorms of the nightmarish 2016 vintage. Despite making just half his normal crop, Benoît remained philosophical and announced himself delighted with the vintage, explaining that he feels there is greater concentration and better balance than the sunnier 2015s. Unfortunately, there is no Fourchaume this year.

A glorious, pale, bright appearance, with dense white fruit – not overtly juicy but with a great deal in reserve. There’s enormous weight behind this, with some fresh pear notes, and cashmere-like texture alongside the austerity of youth.

The third vintage at Domaine d’Henri is the best to date, and so they make their debut in our en primeur brochure. The grapes were hand picked between the 17th and 25th September, a long enough window to allow each plot to reach the desired degree of ripeness, and the wines have seen about 25 percent barrel-ageing. They will not be bottled until the spring.

Delightful lemon scent. Rounded on the palate yet replete with saline minerality. The exceptional 2014 vintage in a nutshell – or should that be oyster shell? 
Will Heslop - Buyer

From several different plots throughout Les Vaillons, a sunny and early ripening vineyard, the first to be converted to organic farming back in 2006. As always, this is relatively strict in style, with some fresh lemon notes, yet still with a little bit of flesh on the bones, an excellent food wine.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

The domaine began picking on 26th September, the first to do so in Chablis and ahead of many in the Côte d’Or. It was the right decision since with their low yields and well aerated bunches the grapes were ripe enough, harvesting conditions were good, and everything was picked before the horrible weather of 5th and 6th October. As a result these are wines of exceptional intensity and potential longevity.

This is the domaine’s most substantial holding, its flagship Premier Cru. After a discreet start it displays a brilliant second half of the palate: a tannin or two at the back, lovely balance between the fruit (mirabelle and peach) and minerality, and an impressively long finish.
Jasper Morris MW - Burgundy Wine Director

This long-established family domaine impresses us more and more with every vintage. The Pinsons have always picked by hand and they are now using natural yeasts for the vinification process. Most wines are vinified in stainless steel, with a small percentage in barrel for the top wines, then matured in barrel for up to a year. The only bad news in 2012 is the quantity: 20% down for straight Chablis, 25-30% less across the Premier Cru vineyards and minus 50% on the Grand Cru which was affected by frost.

From a southeast-facing parcel in the lieu-dit of Chapelot, with classic Kimmeridgian soils, this cuvée is powerful yet lithe, like a middle-weight boxer. Open and flattering on the nose, there is ripe citrus to the fore, then plenty of fresh, zesty acidity for balance and a cleansing herbaceous note on the finish. Drink 2020-2027. 

This is such a tightly wound, mineral cuvée, with notes of gunflint and oyster shell on the nose. It’s little surprise to learn the bedrock is just centimetres below the surface of Guillaume’s two parcels here in Forêts. This is a touch reductive at present and requires patience, but should develop great complexity over the next decade and beyond. Drink 2023-2033.

As in 2016, Guillaume harvested just half a normal crop in 2017. While his village holdings suffered most in 2016, the Premiers and Grands Crus were worst affected this time, with frost to blame. Nonetheless, Guillaume was characteristically cheerful when we visited, and full of enthusiasm for a vintage he describes as “old school – before global warming”. Guillaume continues to use stainless steel for all his cuvées and has again produced a range of wines for which transparency is the watchword: they express as faithfully as possible each vineyard’s distinct terroir.

This sheltered parcel enjoys a warm microclimate expressed by the wine’s open, ripe citrus and stonefruit bouquet. There’s already a slight roasted, nutty character too, which should become more pronounced over time. The palate is perhaps tighter, more mineral than expected, suggesting a long lifespan. Drink 2022-2032.

As in 2016, Guillaume harvested just half a normal crop in 2017. While his village holdings suffered most in 2016, the Premiers and Grands Crus were worst affected this time, with frost to blame. Nonetheless, Guillaume was characteristically cheerful when we visited, and full of enthusiasm for a vintage he describes as “old school – before global warming”. Guillaume continues to use stainless steel for all his cuvées and has again produced a range of wines for which transparency is the watchword: they express as faithfully as possible each vineyard’s distinct terroir.

Guillaume describes this as a connoisseur’s Chablis because it can be coltish in youth and demands time for all the components to knit together. It owes its ripe bouquet and fleshy palate to the vineyard’s clay soils and the age of the vines, planted in 1943. Already, however, it gains focus towards the finish, which is long and saline. Drink 2021-2027.

As in 2016, Guillaume harvested just half a normal crop in 2017. While his village holdings suffered most in 2016, the Premiers and Grands Crus were worst affected this time, with frost to blame. Nonetheless, Guillaume was characteristically cheerful when we visited, and full of enthusiasm for a vintage he describes as “old school – before global warming”. Guillaume continues to use stainless steel for all his cuvées and has again produced a range of wines for which transparency is the watchword: they express as faithfully as possible each vineyard’s distinct terroir.

As ever the most accessible of Fèvre’s Premiers Crus, this offers notes of white flowers and ripe citrus fruit on the nose, along with just a hint of flinty minerals. The palate is medium-bodied, with pleasing weight and a salty tang to the finish. Promising. Drink 2020-2026.

Didier has mixed emotions about the 2017 vintage; the quality is excellent, but thanks to the frost at the end of April, volumes are low, with their substantial holdings on the rive droite (right bank) particularly suffering. Up to 60 percent of the crop was lost in the Grands Crus, particularly Les Clos. Didier explained that, in comparison to 2016, the season post-frost was relatively simple, with warm, dry conditions and rain falling when required. He describes 2017 as a very classic vintage which offers acidity, freshness and tension.

These vines were planted in 1956, so are slightly younger than the Forêt vines. The nose displays classic Chablis dairy notes, some citrus and a touch of spice from the oak. This is a classic Montmain, with lovely, lemony acidity, well-integrated oak and plenty of oyster shell and sea-breeze notes. Drink 2021-2028.

It’s mixed news this year: while 2017 sees the return of the much-loved Cuvée Mademoiselle, overall there is less wine than in 2016, frost damage having cut the crop by anything up to 70 percent, with the worst-affected area being Les Clos. Despite the obvious disappointment of the small crop, Laurent and Charlène were delighted with the quality and health of the grapes at harvest, and feel this is a classically Chablisien vintage.

Four barrels were made this year (one more than in 2016), from the climat of Châtains. The nose displays classic green, herbaceous lemongrass aromas combined with spicy oak courtesy of its ageing in used barrels. The palate is packed with zesty lime and just a hint of well-integrated oak. Drink 2020-2026.

It’s mixed news this year: while 2017 sees the return of the much-loved Cuvée Mademoiselle, overall there is less wine than in 2016, frost damage having cut the crop by anything up to 70 percent, with the worst-affected area being Les Clos. Despite the obvious disappointment of the small crop, Laurent and Charlène were delighted with the quality and health of the grapes at harvest, and feel this is a classically Chablisien vintage.

This is the classic Héritage plot of now 80-year-old vines in L’Ardillier, around a third of the wine seeing oak (all old). It is more densely packed and tightly wound than L’Homme Mort, showing a viscous power and plenty of glycerol laid over a rigid skeletal structure. The chewy finish is incredibly lengthy and promises a long future. Drink 2022-2030.

Michel’s daughter Margaux is taking a more active role in both the cellar and vineyard. She explained that they have been reducing sulphur levels during the winemaking process, believing that this allows the terroir to express itself better. They also no longer fine or filter the wines, the goal being to preserve as much flavour as possible in the final bottle. Yields are down by 50 percent overall, their aspersion system in Fourchaume rescuing them from the worst of the frost. Margaux feels 2017 is a classic Chablis vintage, with freshness and minerality.

From vines approaching 50 years of age, 25 percent of the wine is fermented and raised in older oak barrels. Extraordinarily fine and restrained for arguably Chablis’s most exuberant Premier Cru, this is an intense, precise wine with real focus. Lots of fine mineral notes wrapped up in viscous citrus fruit give a wonderful, textured finish. Drink 2022-2028.

Michel’s daughter Margaux is taking a more active role in both the cellar and vineyard. She explained that they have been reducing sulphur levels during the winemaking process, believing that this allows the terroir to express itself better. They also no longer fine or filter the wines, the goal being to preserve as much flavour as possible in the final bottle. Yields are down by 50 percent overall, their aspersion system in Fourchaume rescuing them from the worst of the frost. Margaux feels 2017 is a classic Chablis vintage, with freshness and minerality.

The domaine has been making this wine since the 2015 vintage, but it has come into its own in 2017. The nose offers austere notes of grass, citrus fruit and some flint. The palate is, however, richer with more generosity and mid-palate breadth, culminating in a pleasing bitterness on the finish. Drink 2020-2025.

Michel’s daughter Margaux is taking a more active role in both the cellar and vineyard. She explained that they have been reducing sulphur levels during the winemaking process, believing that this allows the terroir to express itself better. They also no longer fine or filter the wines, the goal being to preserve as much flavour as possible in the final bottle. Yields are down by 50 percent overall, their aspersion system in Fourchaume rescuing them from the worst of the frost. Margaux feels 2017 is a classic Chablis vintage, with freshness and minerality.