Chardonnay Wines

wines

Firm reduction and a whiff of oak dominate the nose at present. Much more interesting are the beautifully textured, racy and detailed medium weight flavors that also possess a highly sophisticated mouthfeel while exhibiting stunningly good length on the bitter zest-inflected finish that goes on and on. This is terrific and easily delivers grand cru quality.Burghound | 94-96 BHMid lemon colour. As always, the bouquet rises above the others. I feel the need to keep on sniffing this! Brings a smile to the face. The 2021 Domaine Leflaive Pucelles offers such a complex mix of fruits, fresh apricot along with a mix of quality citrus, good density but above all a stylishness that expresses itself in a hugely long finish. Perfect balance with a lifted fresh elegance at the finish. This may yet earn a fifth star later in life. Drink from 2027-2035.Jasper Morris | 94-96 JMThe 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er Cru has a crisp, petrichor and green apple-scented bouquet, tight at first but opening up nicely with aeration. The palate is fresh and crisp with a subtle reduction at play, fine depth, lightly spiced with stem ginger and a dab of lemongrass towards the finish. This should drink nicely over the next decade.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

This is generally the richest, most fruit-driven grand cru bottling chez Fèvre, but the 2020 Chablis Grand Cru Bougros is a wine of particular distinction. Exhibiting aromas of peach, citrus blossom, bee pollen and oyster shell, it’s a medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered wine that’s ample but elegant, with racy acids and a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2020 Chablis Bougros Grand Cru comes from six hectares of vines, southwest- and south-facing, forming the two different cuvées. The bouquet unfolds to offer lovely yellow fruit and oyster leaf aromas, well defined and quite generous. The palate is taut and crisp with fine acidity and moderate depth, but very pretty and composed toward the saline finish. There is plenty of substance already in situ and I foresee this aging with class.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMThis is restrained to the point of being all but aromatically mute though aggressive swirling eventually coaxes notes of green fruit, citrus peel and oyster shell nuances to reveal themselves. There is both excellent volume and concentration to the big-bodied, powerful and imposing flavors that are focused, structured and youthfully austere. This is very much a work in progress, and I would advise allowing this at least 5 years of cellaring and it should easily reward a decade or more.Burghound | 92-94 BHThe 2020 Chablis “Bougros” from Domaine William Fèvre is a beautiful wine, and as is often the case in the lineup here, this is the most forward of the grand crus and the one I would reach to first if I had a desire to drink a delicious, younger grand cru. The bouquet is just loaded with beautifully pure fruit tones, with scents of pear, lime and green apple blending with notes of chalky soil tones, dried flowers and citrus peel. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and long, with a gorgeous core of fruit, fine chalky undertow, bright, zesty acids and great focus and grip on the long, complex finish. This still deserves some bottle age, but it will not be a crime to let your curiosity get the best of you and open a bottle of this lovely wine four or five years down the road! (Drink between 2026 - 2065)John Gilman | 94 JGFrom 4ha of vineyards, this is an easy introduction to the Bougros Grand Cru. Acidity is well in check and the wine is generous, with 25% older wood used for maturation. Very nice weight and purity, minerality and an extra layer of richness compared to the premier cru. Higher yields here than Fèvre’s other grands crus, except Les Clos.Decanter | 93 DECA ripe, round style, featuring peach, apple and citrus flavors accented by grassy meadow and finger lime, with a stony note seeping in on the lingering finish. Best from 2024 through 2036.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2022 Chablis Village has a crisp, focused bouquet with hints of pressed white flowers and wet stone. The elegant palate has flecks of white peach and apricot, balanced and lovely with a charming, precise finish. This is very capable and should age well in bottle.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

The 2022 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru Hommage à Louis has quite a malic, green apple and Anjou pear-scented nose that unfurls beautifully in the glass. The palate is taut and linear, with moderate depth, clamming up slightly towards the finish compared with the Grenouilles or Valmur.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

The 2022 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru is very fragrant on the nose with white peach, white chocolate and hints of wet stone scents, like a Vaillons-plus. The palate is well-defined, taut and fresh, with crisp acidity and good depth, but it starts to clam up towards the finish. Patience will be required, but there is no doubting the caliber of this Grand Cru.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

The 2022 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru has a well-defined bouquet, and the 25% older oak utilized during its élevage is seamlessly integrated. The palate is taut and citrus from the off, quite saline, with grapefruit and melon hints surfacing towards the persistent finish. It coheres very nicely in the glass and has great potential. One of the best examples from this noble vineyard.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

As is almost invariably the case, Dauvissat’s 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons is sensual and perfumed, wafting from the glass with aromas of orange oil, peach, jasmine and nutmeg. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, it’s vibrant and fleshy, with an ample core of fruit, racy acids and a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2020 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru is more floral on the nose compared to the preceding Les Séchets. White flowers, dandelion and touches of orange zest develop in the glass, precise and finessed. The palate is structured with good grip and a slightly waxy texture, building beautifully toward a very persistent finish. Give this 2–3 years in bottle (at least).Vinous Media | 91-93 VM(Chablis “Vaillons”- Domaine Vincent Dauvissat) The 2020 Vaillons from Monsieur Dauvissat is just as beautifully structured out of the blocks as the Séchet, sharing that same classical sense of balance and reserve, so it too will deserve just a few years of hibernation in the cellar before starting to drink with generosity. But, the potential here is enormous, as the wine offers up a fine bouquet of apple, pear, chalky minerality, white lilies, citrus peel and just a touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, precise and full, with a rock solid core, beautiful acidity and mineral drive, impeccable balance and a long, focused and nascently complex finish. (Drink between 2026-2060)John Gilman | 93+ JG

The 2020 Chablis “les Séchets” from Domaine Piuze is a superb wine in the making. The bouquet is pure, focused and detailed, offering up scents of tart orange, lemon, pear, chalky minerality, citrus peel, vanillin oak and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with great cut and grip, impressive focus and a long, racy and complex finish up impressive structural integrity. A beautiful wine in the making. (Drink between 2026 - 2060)John Gilman | 94 JGThe 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Séchet is a beauty, bursting with aromas of Meyer lemon, white flowers, crisp green apple, pastry cream and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with racy acids and chalky grip, it’s a long and penetrating wine that’s quintessentially Chablisien in profile.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2020 Chablis Les Séchets 1er Cru has a well-defined bouquet, quite focused but a little tighter than the Les Roncières at the moment. The palate is vibrant on the entry thanks to a citric bead of acidity. Linear and quite strict for the vintage, this is perhaps one of Piuze’s most classically styled Chablis in 2020, and it should age well.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMOpen in feel, yet there’s an inner tension that emerges as this builds to a long, mouthwatering finish. Balanced and lengthy, featuring prevalent apple, lemon, herb and stone flavors. Drink now through 2026. 110 cases made, 34 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSRipe aromas display the hallmark ripe citrus confit notes of a fine Séchets along with notes of oyster shell, spice and cool white-fleshed fruit. The rich and relatively full-bodied flavors possess fine mid-palate density before terminating in a dry and exceptionally lemony finish that is presently tart and tightly wound. While I would expect that the intense citrus character would progressively diminish, it’s unlikely to be for everyone young.Burghound | 89-91 BH

The 2022 Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses is also rather rich and textural this year, mingling notes of sweet orchard fruit and confit orange with notions of toasted nuts and buttery pastry. Medium to full-bodied, broad and fleshy, with lively acids and a saline finish, I’d expect this to take on more cut and tension by the time it’s bottled.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2022 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru has an elegant bouquet with apricot purée, yellow flowers and light Mirabelle aromas, with hints of crushed stone emerging with time. The palate is well-balanced, with a slightly viscous opening matched by a silver bead of acidity. The salinity comes through right on the finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 93 VMA restrained nose grudgingly offers up a blend of green fruit, citrus, iodine, shellfish and a hint of quinine. There is again fine volume to the beautifully texture and more refined medium-bodied flavors that exude evident minerality on the equally long if not quite as complex finale. Lovely and I very much like the balance that should permit it to age gracefully.Burghound | 93 BH

Made from two plots, one each in Pernand and Ladoix, but just two barrels this year instead of eight. Pale lemon and lime. A more reductive nose with a little oaky note, one new barrel in the two. Will take some time for the fruit to push past that. Plenty of fruit volume though and the style is typical of the appellation. White fruit, lemons, a little banana note, and a stony finish. Indeed plenty of weight at the finish. Drink from 2026-2032.Jasper Morris | 93 JM

Ex Laleure Piot. Pale lemon and lime. This is very different from the Pierre Meurgey label Corton-Charlemagne, though the plots are next door and picked on the same day. This version is much less exotic in aromatics, much more chiselled, and is actually very fine with youthful mineral bitters. Long salient steely finish. A Corton-Charlemagne success this year, with the wood perfectly integrated. Tasted: October 2021.Jasper Morris | 94-97 JMA dense and lively white, evoking lemon and apple core flavors wrapped in toasty oak. Smooth, picking up generous baking spices as this winds down on the long citrus- and oak spice-inflected aftertaste. Best from 2025 through 2035. 104 cases made, 40 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSDomaine Clos de la Chapelle’s Corton-Charlemagne has become one of my favorites on the hill of Corton. The 2020 vintage here is exceptional, offering up a deep and youthful nose of apple, pear, raw almond, a hint of crème patissière, a beautiful base of chalky soil tones, apple blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and pure, with a superb core, great mineral drive and cut, lovely acids and a long, focused and perfectly balanced finish. This comes in listed at 13.5 percent octane and is a fairly ripe example of this bottling, in the style of the vintage, but with impeccable typicité and potential for long-term cellaring. Fine, fine juice. (Drink between 2022 - 2055)John Gilman | 94+ JGA subtle but not invisible application of wood surrounds the aromas of just sliced green apple, mineral reduction and a similar array of citrus elements. There is first-rate intensity to the broad-shouldered and powerful flavors that deliver excellent length on the stony, clean and very dry but not especially austere finale. Like the Sous Frétille, this could use better depth but in this case, more will also certainly develop in time.Burghound | 93 BH

The 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Sécher has turned out beautifully, mingling notions of orange oil and peach with hints of beeswax and rock salt. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with fine depth at the core, tangy acids and an intensely saline finish, it will require some time to unwind.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RP

Matured entirely in oak (20% new from François Frères), the 2019 Viré-Clessé Vieilles Vignes Sur le Chêne has a well-defined bouquet with yellow plum, honeysuckle, quince and light vanilla pod aromas that gather momentum in the glass. The palate is very well balanced with dried honey, peach skin and white pepper, good tension here with a precise finish that has more persistence than the Quintaine. Excellent.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Muscular and powerful, the 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Ruchottes wafts from the glass with notes of pear, orange oil, peach, nutmeg and spices. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and concentrated, it’s a rich, broad-shouldered Ruchottes that’s quite demonstrative out of the gates.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

The 2019 Saint-Aubin Les Murgers des Dents de Chien 1er Cru has more delineation and mineralité compared to the Les Perrières, more terroir expression in situ. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, tropical tones such as passion fruit and mango, counterbalanced by a spicy/ginger tinged finish. It does not quite kick on as I might have hoped, yet there is still a lot of potential here. Expect this to land at the top of my banded score.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM(Jean Chartron St. Aubin "Murgers des Dents de Chien" 1er Cru White) Restrained aromas of very pretty white orchard fruit, rose petal and acacia blossom introduce intense and seductively textured medium-bodied flavors that exhibit slightly better overall depth and persistence. This is lovely and a wine that should age well over the mid-term. (Drink starting 2025).Burghound | 90-92 BHThe 2019 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Murgers des Dents de Chien has turned out nicely, exhibiting notes of pear, crisp green apple, white flowers and fresh pastry. Medium-bodied, bright and precise, with tangy acids and a saline finish, it will show well out of the gates.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

The 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux Vieilles Vignes is excellent, mingling aromas of pear, citrus oil and warm bread with hints of iodine. Bottled later than the younger-vine cuvée of Butteaux, it’s medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with racy acids and chalky grip.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPLike the regular cuvée, this too flirts with volatile acidity though it is admittedly extremely subtle on the nose of essence of pear, quinine and lemon-lime scents. The texture of the slightly denser flavors is equally attractive while offering more evident power on the minerally finish that is impressively persistent, dry and youthfully austere. Once again, at least some patience is suggested. (Drink starting 2025)Burghound | 91 BH

The 2017 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru has more mineralité on the nose compared directly to the Sécher, attractive orange blossom and canned apricot scents emerging with time. The palate is well balanced with a tang of ginger on the entry, showing impressive weight and a taut, linear, quite persistent finish. This is excellent, fulfilling the potential it showed back in June.Vinous Media | 92 VMBeautiful aromas of wet stones and limes, as well as grapefruit. The palate has a very succulent and attractive feel with lithe and linear acidity as a feature. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSAs usual, the 2017 Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu is the most blocky and broad-shouldered of the domaine’s premiers crus, revealing notes of smoky citrus oil, white flowers and oyster shell, followed by a medium to full-bodied, powerful palate that’s still youthfully firm, balanced by tangy acids and concluding with a distinctly saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91+ RP(Maison Joseph Drouhin Chablis "Mont de Milieu" 1er Cru White) A distinct whiff of the exotic can be found on the layered and riper nose that combines notes of apricot, white peach, lychee and hint of tidal pool. Once again there is plenty of citrus influence to the bigger and richer medium-bodied flavors that possess good muscle and punch, all wrapped in an impressively powerful, long and serious finale. This youthfully austere effort is clearly built-to-age and is going to need at least some forbearance. (Drink starting 2025)Burghound | 91 BH(Chablis “Mont de Milieu”- Domaine Drouhin Vaudon) Mont de Milieu is on the Right Bank in Chablis and this sector was far more severely hit by the late April frosts than was the case across the Yonne, so yields here are decidedly lower than was the case with the estate’s Sécher, Montmains or Vaillons. The wine is more forward out of the blocks in 2017 than the Sécher, offering up a precise and inviting bouquet of lemon, green apple, limestone soil tones, spring flowers and a topnote of beeswax. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very elegant in profile, with a bright, but easy-going structural chassis, fine mid-palate depth and a long, bouncy and complex finish. This is already very tasty, but seems to have the balance to age quite well, despite not being particularly steely in terms of acidity. (Drink between 2018-2040)John Gilman | 91 JGA lift of citrus on the nose of this wine immediately sets a bright, fresh accent. The palate comes in with ripe, fresh Mirabelle abundance that enjoys the definition and texture reminiscent of white citrus pith. This wine focuses on fruit but manages to stay toned and defined. Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

A rich style, this white features lemon, peach and spice flavors, all backed by bright acidity. Balanced, leaving a chalky, even tannic impression on the long finish. Best from 2021 through 2029. 30 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSIf you like bold dry whites, then try this. Quite a tannic white Burgundy, but with richness that has a very positive impact on the wine. Plenty of citrus, plus some hazelnut and chalky character. Some real drive at the finish that promises a long life. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSIt’s always interesting to compare and contrast Albert Bichot’s Clos des Mouches white with the one from Joseph Drouhin, as this comes from a slightly higher parcel on the slope. The oak is a little more clamorous here and needs more time to integrate, but this is tauter and crunchier with a little less in terms of mid-palate weight. Drinking Window 2020 - 2024.Decanter | 92 DEC(Domaine du Pavillon (Pommard) - Domaines Albert Bichot Beaune "Clos des Mouches" 1er Cru White) An overtly floral nose offers up notes of pearl, apple and citrus where the latter can also be found on the round, delicious and once again generously proportioned medium-bodied flavors that deliver perfectly good if not truly distinguished depth though I do like the length. Note that my rating once again offers the benefit of the doubt that more complexity will develop if this is allowed a few years of cellar time. (Drink starting 2022)Burghound | 90 BH

The Clos des Mouches made by Joseph Drouhin may be more famous, but Bichot’s parcel of 0.7ha, situated in the highest part of the Premier Cru, is pretty impressive in its own right. Bright, focused and chiselled, it’s the sort of white that wouldn’t look out of place in Puligny-Montrachet, combining citrus, wet stone and aniseed flavours.Drinking Window 2021 - 2028Decanter | 94 DECA creamy-textured white with sliced apples, pears, cream and some lemon and lime rind. Hints of morning yogurt and smoke. Medium-bodied, ready and delicious. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSCream and roasted hazelnut notes create an inviting, rounded nose on this wine. The palate has that same hazelnut richness and creamy flow, buttressed by freshness that recalls lemon and yellow pear. A lovely balance and a juicy, fresh finish do justice to the warm 2018 vintage. Drink by 2035.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE(Domaine du Pavillon (Pommard) - Domaines Albert Bichot Beaune "Clos des Mouches" 1er Cru White) An overtly floral nose combines notes of various white-fleshed fruit with those of lemon grass and spice wisps. The sleek, delicious and equally seductively textured medium-bodied flavors possess very good depth and sneaky length. This balanced effort should drink well young as well as with a few years of bottle aging. (Drink starting 2024)Burghound | 91 BHMarked by vivid acidity, this white evokes lemon, apple, vanilla and clove notes. A tad disjointed, this could use a year to integrate, or decant now. Shows echoes of oak spice on the finish. Best from 2022 through 2029. 480 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2019 Beaune Clos des Mouches 1er Cru Blanc has a vibrant, energetic bouquet, the citrus fruit, mango and white chocolate scents bursting from the glass. The palate is well balanced with a smooth, viscous opening. Good concentration here, and very long and sustained. This represents one of the best whites from Bichot this vintage. Vinous Media | 90-92 VMFrom a 0.75ha plot at the top of the slope, in the Clos des Mouches, where Bichot owns some vines that give a wine of winning concentration. There is pleasantly ripe apricot and pear fruit, with a broad feel on the palate. Regal in stature, perhaps lacking a bit of acidity, although many will enjoy its rich character. Drinking Window 2024 - 2039.Decanter | 92 DECBetter known for its red wines, this premier cru vineyard also has a plot of Chardonnay. Ripe with yellow fruits and toastiness, this wine has a full-bodied character, juggling crisp acidity with generous fruitiness and texture. Drink the wine from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

(Domaine Vincent Dauvissat Chablis "Montée de Tonnerre" 1er Cru White) A vague hint of the exotic is present on the wonderfully elegant lemony white orchard fruit scented nose that reflects additional notes of mineral reduction and oyster shell. The notably finer medium-bodied flavors possess excellent punch on the mineral-driven and chiseled finish that goes on and on. This is lovely and while it too will need better depth, the aging curve is sufficiently promising that I am optimistic that more complexity will develop over the next decade. In a word, terrific. (Drink starting 2027)Burghound | 94 BHThe 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre is the sixth vintage that Dauvissat has produced of this climat, and he observes that it's one of the few parcels he exploits that isn't planted with the family's proprietary massale selections. Exhibiting notions of citrus oil, fresh bread, iodine and warm pastry, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and lively, with fine tension at the core and a long, mineral finish. It's the most approachable while young of these premiers crus.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2019 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru comes from the domaine’s single 0.30-hectare parcel. It has a refined, very classic Chablis nose with wet pavement and light nutty aromas that remain discreetly in the background. The palate is slightly honeyed on the entry, spiced with touches of stem ginger, and delivers good depth, leading into an edgy, saline, powerful finish. You will probably have to give this 3–4 years in bottle.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

Produced from 2.5 ha of domaine vines around the village of Beaune, notably the young vines of the Clos des Mouches, along with some purchased must. The grapes are pressed gently as whole clusters, lightly settled and fermented in cask (20% new). The wine has a lovely, buttery nose, with a ripe apple fruit and rich, nutty aromas that develop with time. Drinkable now, this will definitely continue to improve. Drinking Window: 2021 - 2029Decanter | 92 DEC

The 2020 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, one barrel that is an exchange with another producer, had not been racked unlike the other cuvées. It is fragrant on the nose with citrus lemon, lime flower and a touch of wet limestone. The palate is vibrant on the entry with a judicious touch of sour lemon combining nicely with the subtle white peach and ginger elements, the finish quite spicy and persistent. Afford this 4-5 years in bottle before broaching.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

Patrick’s 2020 Butteaux is utterly classic in personality and superb in potential quality. The nose jumps from the glass in a refined blend of apple, pear, a complex base of chalky soil tones, paraffin, fruit blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and shows of gorgeous fruit at the core, with excellent soil undertow, bright, zesty acids, fine focus and grip and a long, perfectly balanced and complex finish. Great juice. 2025-2060.John Gilman, A View from the Cellar | 94 JGThe 2020 Chablis Les Butteaux 1er Cru had received a bit of SO2 a couple of days before my visit. For that reason, it is a little muted on the nose, opening gradually to reveal yellow flower scents. The well-balanced palate offers grapefruit and melon notes, a fine bead of acidity and good weight on the finish. It does need to cohere in the glass, but this has good potential.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM(Maison Patrick Piuze Chablis "Butteaux" 1er Cru White) A very Chablis-like nose features notes of mineral reduction, pear, apple, shellfish and a plethora of citrus elements. The succulent and round yet decidedly powerful medium-bodied flavors exhibit borderline painful intensity before culminating in a very dry, firm and austere finale. Patience strongly suggested. (Drink starting 2027)Burghound | 90-92 BHDelivers peach, apple and citrus flavors tinged by mineral and the slightest hint of vanilla. Balanced, remaining long and present on the pastry-inflected finish. Drink now through 2026. 392 cases made, 127 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 91 WS

One of the highlights of the range is the 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent, a medium to full-bodied, taut and concentrated wine evocative of pear, citrus oil, smoke, oyster shell and freshly baked bread. Chiseled and incisive, it concludes with a long, penetrating finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP(Chablis “Vaulorent”- Domaine Patrick Piuze) The 2020 Vaulorent from Patrick Piuze is outstanding. The bouquet is pure, precise and complex, wafting from the glass in a suave mix of apple, pear, chalky minerality, a touch of raw almond, white lilies, beeswax and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, precise and nicely reserved in personality, with a full-bodied format, a lovely core of fruit, excellent soil signature and a long, nascently complex and vibrant finish. This wine has beautiful grip and purity and all it needs is some time in the cellar to properly blossom. (Drink between 2028-2070)John Gilman | 94 JG(Maison Patrick Piuze Chablis "Vaulorent" 1er Cru White) An expressive nose combines aromas of white flowers, anise, tea, oyster shell and whiffs of ocean breeze. There is better volume if not quite the same degree of refinement on the punchy, saline and sneaky long finale. This firm effort is lovely with a Zen-like sense of poise. (Drink starting 2028)Burghound | 90-93 BHThe 2020 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru was showing a bit of reduction on the nose when I tasted it directly from barrel. Moving straight on to the palate, there is crisp citrus fruit, lemon curd, touches of frangipane and plenty of spice toward the back end. A tang of stem ginger lingers on the aftertaste. This is a fine Vaulorent but it will need time in bottle.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMThis supple white is highlighted by apple, melon and green plum flavors, with accents of mineral and vanilla adding detail. Balanced and crisp, finishing on the bracing side. Drink now through 2026. 248 cases made, 73 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS