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Pale yellow. Ineffable nose combines fresh pineapple, grapefruit, crushed stone and menthol. Pure, taut, extremely backward wine that’s like sucking on a mouthful of rocks today. Like a richer and even more austere version of the Montee de Tonnerre. With no obvious sweetness showing today, this is revealing more than it’s showing. Finishes very long and very dry, with a purity of mineral expression that’s rare for this vintage. Less likable today than the Valmur but even denser. This will require at least a decade of cellaring.Vinous Media | 95+ VM(Domaine François Raveneau Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru White) An incredibly pure but also incredibly backward ultra high-toned ripe floral and white pear and peach nose nuanced by subtle spice and brioche notes complements perfectly the round, intense, delineated and stony flavors that are like drinking liquefied rock, all wrapped in a textured, palate staining, austere and almost painfully intense and chewy finish. This is a bit more reserved at present than the Valmur, which is interesting because normally it’s the other way around. Either way, this has flat out great potential. (Drink starting 2013)Burghound | 95 BH(Domaine Raveneau Chablis “Clos”) At times, the Clos can be rather forbidding out of the blocks chez Raveneau, but the 2005 is utterly refined and polished. That said, it is also the most closed wine in the cellar today, and offers stunning potential to those with the patience to not open a bottle for a decade. The nose is deep and soil-driven, as it offers up notes of wet stones, flint, crystalline minerals, apples, sweet grapefruit, a streak of herbaceousness not unlike Clos des Mouches Blanc and a whisper somewhere of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and racy, with a very primary panoply of fruit coupled to amazingly complex and persistent minerality, bright acids, a rock solid core, and a very, very long, complex and tensile finish. Magnificent juice in the making. (Drink between 2017-2040)John Gilman | 95 JG

A restrained nose of citrus, floral, mineral reduction and algae slides into impressively rich, powerful, serious and concentrated flavors that are almost painfully intense on the explosive and strikingly long finish. This is a classic Bougros with its robust and muscular big-bodied flavors.Burghound | 92-95 BHThe 2010 Bougros was bottled at the same time as the Vaulorent, but it too was showing very, very well at the time of my visit. The simply beautiful bouquet offers up a complex and classy mélange of apple, tart orange, lime, chalky soil tones, spring flowers and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and racy, with great focus and balance, brisk acidity, a rock solid core of fruit and great length and grip on the still very youthful finish. (Drink between 2018 - 2050)John Gilman | 95+ JGWith 10.18 acres, Fèvre owns one-third of this grand cru, a southwest-facing hillside that produced a spherical wine locked in a Kimmeridgian limestone shell. Scents of wildflower honey and creamy Meyer lemon flavors get cut by the blunt youth of the wine’s acidity and soil character. A transmigration of fossilized oyster shells into a chardonnay of today.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 93 W&SThe 2010 Chablis Bougros is terrific in this vintage, even if the slight lack of polish this site confers to the wines is impossible to completely escape. The aromas and flavors show a crystalline purity that is highly attractive. Floral notes add a further sense of lift on the expressive finish. Anticipated maturity: 2013+.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2010 Chablis Bougros is terrific in this vintage, even if the slight lack of polish this site confers to the wines is impossible to completely escape. The aromas and flavors show a crystalline purity that is highly attractive. Floral notes add a further sense of lift on the expressive finish.Vinous Media | 91 VMAn apple flavor and a sharp lemon note run through this round white, which tightens up on the finish, with a hint of vanilla and lemon. Fresh and long. Best from 2013 through 2018. 85 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Tasted from tank just prior to bottling, the 2017 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru shows why this vintage is so compelling. Apricot, peach and tropical fruit give the 2017 a decidedly exotic flair, and yet bright acids keep the wine lively and energetic. Sweet floral and honeyed notes build into the creamy, layered finish in this super-expressive, inviting Chablis from Dauvissat.Antonio Galloni | 92-94 AG(Domaine Jean et Sébastien Dauvissat Chablis "Vaillons" 1er Cru White) There is evident Chablis typicity to the expressive and softly exotic nose that reflects notes of mineral reduction, white flower and tidal pool nuances. The sleek and mineral-driven flavors possess a relatively fine mouth feel, all wrapped in a markedly dry finish that is notably saline in character. While this isn’t especially dense I do like the balance. (Drink starting 2024).Burghound | 89-91 BH

Now reduced to 3.7ha since 0.8ha were given to his nephew, Vincent Dauvissat’s 12 parcels of Forest (his spelling) are still producing a spellbinding wine. It’s all almond paste, beeswax and oyster shell, with a drizzle of honey. Drinking Window 2022 - 2032Decanter | 96 DECA brilliant rendition of Vincent Dauvissat’s emblematic premier cru, the 2017 Chablis 1er Cru La Forest reveals a complex bouquet of oyster shell, crisp green apple and lemon oil mingled with notes of dried white flowers and freshly baked bread. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, satiny and complete, with a deep and concentrated core, striking energy and cut and a long, mineral finish. Amounting to some 4.5 hectares, La Forest accounts for a third of the domaine’s surface area, so it will be the easiest Dauvissat wine for readers to find. Happily, it ranks alongside the 2014 and 2008 as one of the very best of recent years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2017 Chablis La Forest 1er Cru is a standout and one of the wines that brings together so many of the best elements of the Dauvissat house style. A Chablis of marvelous contrasts, the Forest is at once light on its feet and also packed with notable intensity. At the same time, the Forest is mysterious and not ready to show all of its cards yet. There is so much to look forward to. The Forest emerges from eight parcels spread across 3.7 hectares, Dauvissat’s largest holding. I imagine the diversity of these micro-parcels goes a long way in giving the wine dimension and complexity.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGHas a very strong, flinty yellow grapefruit and lime-leaf edge with a waxy, steely mineral core, making it a really exciting nose. There’s additional depth here, from white peppery minerals to chalk. Super fine and tight. This has a scintillatingly pure, fresh and powerful with a richer texture powered by very strong acidity. Exceptional.James Suckling | 94-95 JSLemon drop aromas and flavors lead off in this complex, flinty white, joined by apple and mineral notes. This is balanced and builds to a long, intense, stone-infused aftertaste. Best from 2020 through 2028. 130 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Chablis “la Forest”- Domaine Vincent Dauvissat) It was the lower portion of the slope in la Forest that was frosted in Monsieur Dauvissat’s holdings in this excellent premier cru, but the wine does not show any of the overly concentrated aspects that certain 2017s from frosted-vineyards show in this vintage. Rather, the wine is very pure, precise and classical in profile and an absolutely beautiful wine in the making. The bouquet soars from the glass in a lovely combination of green apple, grapefruit, flinty minerality, dried flowers, just a whisper of vanillin oak and a youthful topnote of citrus peel. On the palate the wine is deep, full and nicely reserved in personality, with outstanding mid-palate depth, excellent mineral drive, snappy acids and impeccable balance on the very long and nascently complex finish. A great vintage of la Forest. (Drink between 2023-2060)John Gilman | 94 JGThis is aromatically cooler than the Vaillons with its airy combination of algae, lemon rind and wet stone where the latter element can also be found on the sleek, intense and energetic middle weight plus flavors that are a bit finer than usual, all wrapped in a bone dry and aggressively mineral-driven finale. A classic tightly coiled La Forest that is clearly built-to-age.Burghound | 93 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

Struck flint and salty mineral tones accent this ripe yet gorgeously smoky white. Fermented via indigenous yeast and matured entirely in stainless steel, the translucent wine is bolstered by voluminous richness. Held upright by tangs of lemon and steel, this chalk-edged wine is approachable young but will likely hit peak from 2023 to 2028 and hold further. ANNA LEE C. IIJIMAWine Enthusiast | 95 WE

The 2018 Chablis Vau de Vey was cropped at 58hl/ha and matured in 50% barrels and 50% stainless steel for 12 months. It has a clean, pure bouquet of yellow plum, orange pith and light crushed stone notes. The palate conveys energy right from the start, revealing hints of blood orange and quince, racy acidity and an elegant, very persistent finish that lingers in the mouth. Superb.Vinous Media | 94 VMA lovely, slightly reductive note of smoke swathes green pear notes on the nose of this wine. The palate adds lemony juiciness to sonorous notes of smoky oak that surround lively Mirabelle fruit. On the finish, bright lemon adds poise, elegance and length.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

The 2018 Chablis Village, matured for 12 months in 80% stainless steel and 20% used oak, has a vibrant, fresh, classic Chablis nose that many other growers were not able to achieve in this warm year. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, vibrant and zesty, showing a touch of spice on the elegant finish. This must surely be one of the finest Chablis Village of 2018.Vinous Media | 92 VMA touch of wet walnut accompanies pear and lemon on this wine’s fresh nose. Vivaciousness at the core belies the heat of the 2018 vintage. Yes, there is concentration and some midpalate weight, but salty, preserved-lemon freshness dominates the wine and bright finish.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

The 2018 Chablis Vauprin comes from 1.7ha of 25-year-old vines and is raised for 12 months in 50% oak barrels and 50% stainless steel. It has a very harmonious bouquet of yellow flowers, mirabelle, crushed rocks and light hazelnut aromas that attain impressive intensity with aeration. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity; there is real tension and race here. The finish fans out wonderfully and its persistence deserves applause considering the relatively unknown location of this vineyard. Highly recommended.Vinous Media | 93 VMResonant notes of roasted hazelnut on the nose of this wine sit well with the lemon brightness. The palate carries the same nuttiness but puts lemon freshness center stage. This slightly smoky combination is bedded on a smooth but cooling, yeasty texture, with beautiful length. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

The 2018 Chablis Côte de Jouan 1er Cru has a gorgeous bouquet of lemon curd, orange pith and honeysuckle scents that seem to grab the olfactory senses. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and crisp, leading to a complex finish of sour lemon, kumquat and saline notes that linger on the aftertaste. Superb.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2018 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru shows a little more definition and terroir expression compared directly with the Montée de Tonnerre. Lemon peel, touches of crushed stone and dried flowers almost reluctantly emerge with aeration. The palate is powerful and expressive, with a honeyed texture...Vinous Media | 92 VMThis is also quite cool with its restrained, airy and more elegant nose that features notes of mineral reduction, oyster shell and white flowers. The racy and beautifully well-delineated middle weight flavors deliver excellent persistence on the clean, notably dry and bracing finale where a hint of bitter lemon appears.Burghound | 90-92 BHThis has attractive peach and peach-kernel aromas with hints of flint and almond pastry. The palate has a very fleshy and succulent feel with apricot, mango and yellow-peach flavors. A steely-mineral spark below. Drink on release.James Suckling | 91-92 JS

Billaud-Simon, under the guidance of Olivier Bailly, is a highly consistent producer of classic Chablis. Cool and crisp, there is concentration here allied to vibrant acidity on the palate. A benchmark Chablis which combines a more modern fruit character with the structure of wines from the past. Great length and lots of finesse here. Drinking Window 2021 - 2027.Decanter | 92 DEC

A hint of petrichor colors this wine’s lemony, bright nose with a stony allure. The palate dresses this lemony richness in nutty, rounded smoothness without denying its mouthwatering essence. The midpalate is buffered, chalky and intense, with reverberating richness and freshness that makes this wine a real joy.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEPart of the wider Montmains Premier Cru, Butteaux is situated on the top of the hill, located on sparse Kimmeridgian soil with the presence of the much-vaunted blue clay. In 2019, the exposure of this site has added an extra layer of richness to the palate. Fine acidity keeps the wine in balance with purity of fruit very evident. Lots of concentration for further ageing. A fine Premier Cru, appealing now but with much more to come. Drinking Window 2022 - 2027.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2019 Chablis Butteaux 1er Cru has a very promising bouquet of honeysuckle, jasmine, citronella and Japanese yuzu. Very fine delineation and focus on display here. The palate is well balanced with a supple and harmonious opening, lively and pretty, offering yellow plum and citrus notes, and becoming spicier with a dab of stem ginger toward the finish. This Butteaux will be difficult to resist in its youth, but it will give 12–15 years of drinking pleasure.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2019 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru has an expressive nose of crushed stone, mirabelle and light honeysuckle aromas, one of the classiest from Brocard in 2019. The palate is fresh and saline on the entry, with driving acidity, superb tension and a judicious kiss of salinity on the racy finish. A great Chablis from Brocard. Recommended.Vinous Media | 94 VMMossiness accompanies pear and lemon notes on this wine’s nose along with a lift of dried hayflower. The palate adds ripe roundness and intense, multidimensional creaminess that takes in yeast, smokiness and chalkiness alongside the intense lemon. Drink 2022–2040.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE(Maison Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis "Vaulorent" 1er Cru White) This is aromatically similar to the Fourchaume with its softly honied and exotic aromas that are ripe but fresh while exhibiting good Chablis typicity. There is fine volume to the punchy and tautly muscular flavors that possess a borderline tannic mouthfeel that carries over to the markedly dry finale. Solid quality here that is marked by the vintage but not excessively so. (Drink starting 2025).Burghound | 91 BH

(Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis "Vaillons - Cuvée Guy Moreau" 1er Cru White) Subtle but not imperceptible wood surrounds the ripe and fresh white and yellow orchard fruit scents that are nuanced by hints of tidal pool and iodine. There is again excellent intensity and delineation to the dense and rather serious medium weight flavors that also exude a bracing salinity on the impressively long and more complex finale. The Guy Moreau is usually a bit better than the regular cuvée but in 2019 this appears to offer a substantial step up in quality. (Drink starting 2026)Burghound | 90-93 BHThe 2019 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru Cuvée Guy Moreau comes from a specific one-hectare parcel planted by the titular winemaker, Christian’s father, back in 1933. It has a bouquet similar to the regular cuvée, very well defined with yellow plum and a touch of saffron. The balanced palate offers a slightly creamy texture, fine acidity and flavors of white peach plus hints of almond toward the generous finish, though it retains acidity from beginning to end. Enjoy this over the next 15 years.Vinous Media | 93 VM

A touch of fresh, ripe lemon zest is all that peeps though on this wine’s shy and closed nose. More air reveals lovely hints of petrichor and chalk. The palate is rounded and textured. Yeastiness and chalky depth align themselves to bright, ripe lemon, and the lemony chalkiness lasts beautifully. Drink by 2040.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEShowing rather more of a rich, toastier style, this has some driving mineral characters underneath with lovely concentration. The freshness imparted by the east-facing, steeply-sloping face of Blanchot contrasts with the warmth and ripeness of the 2019 vintage. A Grand Cru which has a fine balance of richness, power and structure, that is already drinking very well. Drinking Window 2022 - 2030.Decanter | 93 DEC

A relatively recent estate - Celine’s father is Jean-Marc Brocard, whilst Frederic worked at Domaine Durup. A classy Vosgros with ripeness of stone fruit allied to an intriguing fennel/herb character on the palate. Fleshy, with plenty of warmth from the vintage, this is married with a tangy, flinty finish. A fine Premier Cru, drinkable already and with good concentration for further ageing. Drinking Window 2022 - 2028.Decanter | 93 DECApple, lemon, buttermilk and yeast all show on this wine’s funky nose. The palate unites these notions on a buffered, concentrated, chalky and lemony body that has subtle depth. The wine is smooth, fresh and understated.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Subtly smoky and thrilling in minerality, this pure-fruited, lemon-scented Chablis highlights white peach and lime flavors etched by limestone and chalk. Despite a hot vintage, it’s a classic, cooling expression of Mont de Milieu vinified entirely in stainless steel. It’s at peak from 2023 to 2035 but the wine should hold longer still.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2019 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru has a clean, Alpine-scented bouquet that displays fine mineralité and tension. In the mouth, it’s fresh, vibrant and quite spicy on the midpalate, leading into an engaging, intense finish. This is a superb Mont de Milieu that should age with style. A Chablis with pedigree.Vinous Media | 93 VMMore depth and resolve on the nose here, with a deeper hue in the glass and some intriguing spice and woody notes on the palate. Good concentration with some refreshing citric acidity to finish. This shows the combination of ripeness and stony minerality which makes Mont de Milieu one of the leading Premier Crus. Drinking Window: 2021 - 2027Decanter | 92 DEC

The most structured and muscular of Domaine de l’Arlot’s premiers crus, the 2019 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forêts St Georges wafts from the glass with aromas of cassis, plums, dark berries, raw cocoa and sweet soil tones. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with lively acids, powdery tannins and a youthfully chalky finish, this is an elegantly muscular wine built to age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2019 Nuits Saint-Georges Clos des Forêts Saint Georges 1er Cru comprises 30% whole bunch and 35% new oak. It has the best bouquet from the domaine this year, delivering gorgeous red fruits laced with violet that burst from the glass, quite Vosne-like in style. The palate is succulent but structured on the entry, presenting a perfect line of acidity, while beautifully integrated oak lends a seamless texture. Very persistent and satiny on the finish. An outstanding wine for the vintage.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMGreat balance again here, with power and weight on the palate, a dark-fruited style and lovely purity. Dark cherry and blackberry leaf on the nose. Needs plenty of time to settle down but should develop very well for the long haul. The harvest started on 12 September, finishing on the 17th. Drinking Window 2024 - 2035.Decanter | 94 DEC

Domaine des Malandes is a 29ha estate with the ’Envers de Valmur’ an intriguing ’insiders’ choice from vineyards abutting Grand Cru Vaudésir. Classic in colour, aroma and flavour profile on the palate, this is a fine Chablis with great potential for further ageing. Bright, focussed and mineral with a lovely balance between freshness, bright acidity and ripe fruit flavours. Long and precise on the finish. Drinking Window 2021 - 2027.Decanter | 94 DECA slight notion of wet chalk appears alongside hints of lemon zest on this wine’s fresh nose. Superbright and more open, the palate offers cooling, smooth chalkiness pervaded by lemony ripeness. It’s a concentrated, elegant wine with depth.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE