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The 2019 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru has a less flamboyant bouquet than its peers. This feels more reserved and flinty, though very nicely defined and focused. The palate is well balanced, with the weight and density I look for in a Vaillon, and a little spicier than the Vosgros. A touch of lemongrass and a hint of green olive appear toward the finish. Fine.Vinous Media | 91 VMAromas of peach, apricot, honey, white flowers and iodine preface the 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons, a medium to full-bodied, satiny and charming wine that’s the most demonstrative premier cru in the cellar this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

A lifted but guarded sense of lemon zest plays on this wine’s nose, forthright at one moment, restrained the next. The palate channels concentrated but creamy lemon peel, mouthwatering in its frankness but buffered by lovely chalkiness. Lemony limestone freshness rings long after the last sip.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2019 Chablis Vau de Vey 1er Cru has an intriguing, melted candle wax and white flower nose, showing touches of apple peel and chalk dust. This seems to grow in complexity in the glass. The palate is well balanced and spicy, with a fine bead of acidity. Orange peel and touches of bitter lemon give way to a slightly oily-textured finish. This is a very engaging Vau de Vey that will be fascinating to see mature in bottle.Vinous Media | 92 VMHere the expressive nose is blessed with more evident Chablis character in the form of iodine, oyster shell and citrus along with ripe pear and apple whiffs. There is fine underlying tension to the impressive dense and stony medium weight flavors that are not especially complex, but the citrus-tined finish is refreshing plus there is enough underlying material to suggest that more depth should develop in time.Burghound | 90 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

Fresh, cooling tones of lemon and grapefruit are accented by burnt butterscotch in this robust yet sharply honed white. Reflective of an intensely hot vintage, it’s broad shouldered and weighty yet firmly anchored by a steely, smoky mineral undertow. Tight in youth, the wine should mature beautifully and be at peak from 2024 through 2035.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2019 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru has an intense bouquet that shrugs off the reduction to deliver crushed pebbles and honeysuckle and jasmine scents. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh. The elegant finish just needs to develop a little more persistence on the aftertaste. But overall, this is very promising.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMPlump and also juicy, this white borders on orange framing the core peach and melon flavors. A mineral note grounds this version as it plays out on the lingering finish. Fine balance, with a lemon aftertaste. Drink now through 2026.Wine Spectator | 92 WSAn expressive and decidedly ripe yet fresh nose reflects notes of honey, dried yellow orchard fruit and just enough Chablis typicity to make one remember where this is from. There is fine volume and richness to the palate soaking medium-bodied flavors that are shaped by bright acidity on the dry, youthfully austere and lingering finale. The nose is certainly not classic but I very much like the palate impression.Burghound | 91 BH

A lifted intensity of lemon and hazelnut on this wine’s subtle nose promises concentration. The palate presents lemon zestiness and a yeasty texture that seems to fizz with freshness. It has lemony resonance, mouthwatering brightness and a rounded body to back it all up. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2019 Chablis Saint Martin, which had already been bottled, has a charming nose of fragrant yellow flowers, caramelized pear and hints of chalk, all very well defined. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh, revealing a twist of sour lemon toward the finish. This is a very fine entry-level Chablis that deserves your consideration.Vinous Media | 91 VMThis special cuvée pays homage to the relics of St Martin, kept in the C9 cellars now owned by Domaine Laroche. This is a pretty strident example of Chablis with powerful acidity that is a little dominant at the moment. Ripe, sunny, peach fruit characters promise a bright future but this really needs 6-12 months to settle down. Drinking Window 2022 - 2026.Decanter | 90 DEC

Old vines grown on a warm, exposed slope (important in Chablis) give this wine its richness and textured concentration. Ripe apple and tangy lime flavors complement a tight edge that will soften as the wine matures. Drink from 2023. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEDomaine Laroche traces its beginnings back to AD867. This high-quality example of Premier Cru Chablis Vieilles Vignes shows purity of fruit, density of flavour and some subtle, judicious, oak maturation adding some extra layers of complexity. With a mineral aftertaste, this also has intriguing hints of honey and lemon curd on the nose and palate. Drinking Window 2022 - 2028.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes unwinds in the glass with aromas of green orchard fruit, pastry cream, fresh bread and light reduction. Medium to full-bodied, ample and saline, it’s bright and chiseled, with a classically Chablisien tang.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2019 Chablis Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru has a crisp nose of Granny Smith apples, freshly sliced Nashi pear, wild fennel, green olives and touches of crushed limestone. The palate is fresh and crisp on the entry, demonstrating admirable weight. A little viscosity toward the finish betrays the warmth of the summer, yet the acidity keeps it fresh and tensile. Delicious.Vinous Media | 91 VMAn inflection of green herbs and green fruit marks this round, lively white, with apple, yellow plum and earth notes completing the profile. Excellent length. Drink now through 2025. 1,500 cases made, 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Fullish yellow. The complex nose shows the power of the vintage, a few drier tannins behind, fair acidity. I find this backward and difficult to judge. I think the Clos character is there, but it is reticent today. The palate does deliver detail and layers of fruit though. The finish does also suggest the necessary class. Really good length here.Jasper Morris | 94 JM

Ample but not dominant wood doesn’t completely mask the equally exotic white and yellow orchard fruit scents that exhibit enough Chablis typicity to be persuasive. There is once again very impressive volume and mid-palate density to the long, caressing and balanced finale where a refreshing touch of bitter lemon character slowly emerges. This is a powerful Preuses that will require at least a few years to fully integrate the wood treatment and to develop more overall depth.Burghound | 94 BHThe 2019 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru has a clean, precise bouquet, quite tight at the moment but displaying focus and admirable delineation. The palate is well balanced with a crisp line of acidity, fresh and vibrant, tapering away a little toward the finish, which offers bright citrus fruit laced with orange peel and truffle but needs a tad more depth and grip.Vinous Media | 91 VMA lean, wiry white, with a touch of oak spice framing apple, lemon and lanolin flavors. It’s bracing and moderately long. Drink now through 2025. 90 cases made, 30 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Pops of hazelnut and cream lend richness to this ripe, lusciously textured Chablis. Bright lemon and yellow-apple flavors on the palate maintain the appellation’s characteristic steeliness and nerve but this mouthfilling Chardonnay is welcoming young and likely to drink well through 2035.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2019 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru has a taut, crisp, energetic bouquet that displays fine delineation and plenty of mineralité. The fresh, vibrant palate delivers crisp acidity and lemon zest, orange peel and subtle apricot notes, maintaining superb precision and poise through to the satisfyingly persistent finish. Superb!Vinous Media | 93 VMA ripe version, with apple and melon flavors holding court and a hint of pineapple. The acidity amps up on the mouthwatering finish, where a vein of mineral shines through. Drink now through 2026. 215 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Crystal clear like a mountain stream, a light oak influence adds a note of lanolin to the apple, melon and lemon fruit. Turns more sleek and defined on the long, mineral- and herb-tinged aftertaste. Drink now through 2027. 269 cases made, 64 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2019 Chablis Les Séchets 1er Cru comes from vines located just above Vincent Dauvissat’s. The well-defined bouquet features honeysuckle and subtle white flower aromas. The palate is where the action is: it delivers vibrant citrus fruit, orange zest and light ginger notes. Lovely depth on the finish. This is an excellent Chablis.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Séchet is taut and chiseled, unwinding in the glass to reveal aromas of citrus oil, white flowers, beeswax and crushed chalk. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and incisive, it will require and reward a bit of bottle age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

This white is lean, sporting lemon, green plum, chamomile and lanolin aromas and flavors. A spine of vivid acidity keeps it focused and long, while the balance and harmony bode well for the future. Shows excellent length. Drink now through 2027. 263 cases made, 93 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons Les Minots is lovely, wafting from the glass with notes of clear honey, citrus oil, white flowers and oatmeal. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and succulent, it’s bright and charming, concluding with a long, mineral finish. As I’ve written before, this hails from one of the sunnier, warmer lieux-dits within the larger climat of Les Vaillons, and it typically produces a more generous, gourmand wine; it’s also often where Piuze begins his harvest.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2019 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru "Les Minots" has a pretty beeswax and gravel bouquet. The palate is concentrated with fine depth and a touch of viscosity.Vinous Media | 91 VM

A relatively young estate, Lavantureux is definitely a domaine to watch. Arnaud and David are now running things, with a recent 0.95ha acquisition in Vau de Vey. Farmed by hand, this is a delightful Premier Cru which emphasises the character of this steep, stony climat. Lovely density on the palate with an intriguing lime character, balanced by mineral, flinty notes and a touch of creamy oak adding more complexity. Subtle and nuanced. Drinking Window 2022 - 2027.Decanter | 95 DECAromas of honeysuckle, lemon grass and citrus follow through to a medium body with fine tannins and a fresh, bright finish. Lots of lemon rind at the end. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Vau de Vey is a fine success, offering up aromas of citrus oil, white flowers, nutmeg and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, bright and chiseled, with fine depth at the core and a saline finish, this is certainly oak-inflected in style but integrates that patina more completely than the Vauprin.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2019 Chablis Vau de Vey 1er Cru has a lovely, pure, well-defined bouquet of mineral-tinged citrus fruit, dewy meadow and light flinty scents. The palate is taut and fresh with orange peel and a touch of yellow plum on the entry. There are hints of tropical fruit, but they are discreet, and the wine maintains wonderful focus on the finish. Delicious!Vinous Media | 92 VM

Just a whisper of vanilla wafts on the nose of this steel-honed, fruity Chardonnay. A richly concentrated expression of a ripe vintage, it has Mirabelle and white-melon flavors that are pertly balanced by streaks of lime. Creamy in texture and endless on the finish, it’s irresistible young but likely to drink well through 2030.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA dynamic estate in Lignerolles, with David and Arnaux now in charge of the winemaking. Vauprin is one of the estate’s signature wines - a selection from a small, southerly-facing, parcel on local hills named Vauprin. This is a serious, intense Chablis that balances a luxurious texture on the palate, concentration of fruit, along with the unmistakable lift and drive of Chablis. Drinking well now though it will be even better in 12 months. Drinking Window 2022 - 2026.Decanter | 93 DECLemon tree, mineral and flint on the nose with a hint of matchstick. Full-bodied with density and intensity. So much character here. Some phenolics. Flavorful finish. This is so real. Drink now.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2019 Chablis Vauprin has a backward bouquet, offering sultry malic scents that gradually open to show a little undergrowth along with attractive apple peel and dewy meadow notes. The palate is fresh on the entry, offering lively, vivacious orange zest and citrus flavors. Lovely peach notes surface toward the finish. A Chablis-Villages that aims for wide appeal and, judging by this sample, will succeed.Vinous Media | 90 VM

The 2020 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru has a more powerful bouquet than its peers with scents of orange blossom, Nashi pear and an underlying gunflint note trying to surface. The palate is well balanced with orange rind and a touch of peach skin on the entry. Very poised and harmonious with impressive volume, I admire its tension and persistence on the saline finish. This will not require much bottle maturation, yet it has the substance to last 15-20 years. Excellent. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Another typical lemon and lime colour. Pleasing and perfumed nose with some steel behind, plus something of the grassy character of this vineyard. A lemon infusion to bring up the finish. Tasted: July 2021.Jasper Morris | 89-92 JMAn intense, focused white, with crushed stone and chalk dust framing green apple, lemon and greengage flavors. Balanced and long, with a steely finish. Drink now through 2028. 1,750 cases made, 175 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSNice density and concentration on the palate, with green apple acidity underneath. Suspect this will be a good Vaudevey, but being a tank sample will need to be re-tasted in bottle.Decanter | 91 DEC

The 2020 Chablis Blanchot Grand Cru is aged 75% in stainless steel and 25% in oak for nine months, followed by five months all in stainless steel. It has a relatively light bouquet, quite airy in style, gaining intensity with aeration, touches of white peach, smoke and granite. The palate is well balanced with a fine line of acidity, citrus fruit, orange rind and a touch of stem ginger towards the finish that fans out nicely. This meliorates with aeration and is worth decanting if you decide to crack open a bottle in its youth. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.Vinous Media | 93 VMA deftly balanced white highlighted by apple, yellow plum, floral and stone aromas and flavors. Offers a rich and supple texture, making this almost seamless from start to the finish, where a stony element emerges. Drink now through 2028. 304 cases made, 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSModerate wood surrounds the overtly floral-suffused nose of softly exotic white peach, sea breeze and pretty spice whiffs. The succulent, round and plump flavors exude a refreshing salinity on the very dry and sneaky long finish. Like several wines in the range, this needs to develop more depth, but the underlying material appears to be present for that to occur.Burghound | 92 BH

A mellow white, with a light touch of vanilla and clove accenting peach, apple tart and honey flavors. Well-delineated and balanced, with honey, spice and mineral accents on the finish. Best from 2024 through 2030. 131 cases made, 70 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2020 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru delivers the intensity one seeks in this cru, offering scent of chalk dust, lemon thyme and light loamy aromas. It builds nicely in the glass. The palate is well-balanced with a fine thread of acidity, compact on the entry yet it fans out nicely whilst retaining admirable tension from start to finish. I would have just liked a little more residual spiciness, but this will do nicely. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.Vinous Media | 93 VMDiscreet though certainly perceptible wood sets off the ripe aromas of citrus confit, spring flowers, iodine and shellfish. The mouthfeel of the medium weight plus flavors is nothing short of gorgeous as it’s at once caressing but punchy on the sappy and strikingly long finish. This too would benefit from having better depth, but the density of material is such that more will almost certainly develop if allowed a few years first.Burghound | 93 BH

The 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux Vieilles Vignes will be bottled later than usual, as Michel was still waiting on the delivery of glass bottles when I visited—but extra time on the fine lees certainly won’t do it any harm. Exhibiting aromas of pear, white flowers, freshly baked bread, confit citrus and iodine, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, with terrific depth and tension. It’s a close race between this and Michel’s Vaulorent this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

A cool and airy nose is less exotic than it usually is though there is a trace of it on the ripe white and yellow fruit suffused aromas. Once again there is both good density and power to the medium weight flavors that also possess an abundance of sappy dry extract along with plenty of salinity on the moderately structured, complex and sneaky lengthy finish.Burghound | 92 BH

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

An elegant, pure and beautifully layered nose is comprised by notes of white orchard fruit, ocean breeze, quinine and a whiff of the exotic. There is really lovely intensity to the caressing but well-detailed middle weight flavors that conclude in a refreshing and inviting finish that evidences plenty of salinity. Beauroy is rarely this good so color me impressed.Burghound | 90-93 BHThe 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy is a charming, pretty wine, bursting with aromas of sweet white flowers, honeycomb, oyster shells and crisp stone fruit. Medium to full-bodied, ample and precise, with a satiny attack and a saline finish, it’s a particular success this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThere’s quite a bit of spice here although the palate is restrained and with good concentration. Less showy, a wine built for the long haul, this is classy and will age very well. From three parcels in Beauroy. No battonage, 25-30% in wood and 16-17 months maturation.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2020 Beauroy from Domaine Fèvre is a fine bottle in the making. This is a warmer microclimate and Didier noted that they picked this very early, “to keep the freshness in the wine.” The team has succeeded nicely in this, as the wine jumps from the glass in a lovely blend of lemon, pear, chalky soil tones, white flowers and a touch of upper register paraffin. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and nicely balanced, with a good core, lovely transparency and grip and a long, zesty and complex finish. Good juice. (Drink between 2026 - 2055)John Gilman | 92 JGPale lime colour. Some spice on the nose, just kept the tension going on the palate, an easy access Chablis 1er cru, well made, but as always I think you get more by trading up.Jasper Morris | 89-91 JM

(Chablis Montmains 1er Cru, Domaine William Fèvre, White) From all three sections of the vineyard as usual. Racy lemon colour. Pure crystalline nose, very little reduction, very classical left bank Chablis, very intense but neither heavy nor exotic. The kimmeridgian is speaking underneath a graceful layer of flesh. Fruit and stones both keep coming back at the finish.Jasper Morris | 92-95A wine from a selection of sites over 3.9ha in Butteaux, Forêts and Montmains. Butteaux is very cold and mineral, while Forêts is elegant and floral. Great precision and focus here, allied with crystalline citrus fruits on the palate. Shows density, but is also very fresh, with lovely mineral characters on the finish. A highly successful Montmains.Decanter | 93 DECHere too the nose is elegant, pure and layered but with more floral and spice nuances adding breadth to the cooler and more restrained aromas. There is both excellent intensity and density to the mineral-driven flavors that terminate in a bone-dry, sneaky long and balanced finale. This too is really very good.Burghound | 91-93 BHConsisting of roughly equal parts Montmains, Butteaux and Forêts (the three sous-climats of Montmains), the 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Montmains offers up aromas of crisp green apple, white flowers, bee pollen and oyster shell. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and concentrated, it’s taut and precise, concluding with a saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP(Chablis “Montmains”- Domaine William Fèvre) The 2020 Montmains here is also lovely, with perhaps just a bit more definition and complexity than in the Beauroy. The nose is pure and bright, offering up scents of apple, tart orange, wet stone minerality, citrus peel, dried flowers and a nice shading of oyster shell. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and racy in personality, with fine focus and grip, a lovely core and a long, minerally and beautifully balanced finish. A lovely example. (Drink between 2026 - 2055)John Gilman | 92+ JGThe 2020 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru comes from 3.8 hectares of vines over 12 parcels and offers pressed white flower scents and a touch of crushed rock. The well-defined palate features red apple mixed with subtle spicy notes that dovetail into a generous, leesy finish. Fine.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

The 2020 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru is another precise, steely classic Chablis from Benoît Droin. The palate is beautifully balanced and poised, showing good concentration and wonderful cohesion and salinity toward the finish. I cannot wait to taste the final version.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMUnwinding in the glass with aromas of green apple, white flowers, mint and bee pollen, the 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Montmains is medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with a textural attack and a long, saline finish. From a site characterized by white marls, it has performed well in this sunny vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPPale light colour with a juicy fruit nose, a wealth of joyous white fruit, very lightly peachy, not reductive this year. Benoît thinks will tighten up and refine its toastier character Jasper Morris | 90-92 JMn initial touch of reduction slowly gives way to very pretty and quite cool aromas timidly offer up notes of lemon-lime, white-fleshed fruit, sea breeze and a touch of algae character. There is good vibrancy and detail to the delicious and appealingly textured flavors that possess fine depth on the balanced finish that exhibits a touch of wood as it sits on the palate.Burghound | 91 BH