Wine Ratings

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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 BHale to mid lemon yellow. Bouquet hidden at first, stones and light white fruit, more body behind, a little bit of oak. The oyster shells appear further back on the palate, elegance without heat.Jasper Morris | 92 JM

The 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 VMA 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 WSDiscreet 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

Rich and powerful, this wine opens with vibrant notes of fresh apples, Korean pear, fresh ginger, jasmine, and wet stone. The palate reveals bites of Bosc pear, rose, and light vanilla bean, complemented by great salinity and a hint of flint on the finish. Elegant, with delicate complexity and great texture, this wine is equally delicious on its own or paired with dishes with creamy, earthy sauces. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2020 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru has a crisp bouquet with crushed rock mixed with touches of dried flowers and a light sea spray note - classic Chablis really. The palate is fresh and vibrant on the entry. Touches of dried honey and chamomile, but underneath it all is a fine mineral spine and a decent, quite Les Preuses-like finish. Fine. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.Vinous Media | 91 VMThough ripe, offering aromas and flavors of lemon cake, melon and white flowers, there’s also a stony, mineral element underneath this balanced white, which ends with a light chalky sensation. Drink now through 2028. 712 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2021 Chablis Bougros Grand Cru, 80% aged in oak, has a delightful bouquet with orchard fruit, lemon verbena and orange pith scents that burst from the glass. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, quite precise with a welcome touch of bitter lemon that keeps the finish on edge. Not a long-term Bougros perhaps, but finely crafted. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Offering up aromas of citrus oil, crisp stone fruit, white flowers and buttery pastry, Piuze’s 2022 Chablis Grand Cru Bougros is medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, with a bright spine of acidity and a mouthwateringly saline finish. It’s an especially strong performance for this site this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

This also displays moderate wood influence on the ripe layered and pure nose that displays good layering and ample Chablis typicity. There is impressive mid-palate density to the opulent and lavishly rich medium-bodied flavors that possess a borderline lush, even creamy, mouthfeel, all wrapped in a citrusy and sneaky long finish. This unusually powerful effort should also be capable of mid-term development yet drink well after only 5 or so years.Burghound | 91-94 BH

With the 2023 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Hommage à Louis, the Droins have regained the right to designate Les Clos on the label from the INAO, but they’re also continuing with the Hommage à Louis moniker. Whatever its name, the wine is lovely, opening in the glass with notes of green apple, peach and lemon mingled with iodine and toasted nuts, followed by a full-bodied, layered and concentrated palate that’s deep, dense and muscular.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2023 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru Hommage à Louis has the best bouquet amongst the Grand Crus from Droin. Very vibrant and intense, with crushed limestone and flint. The palate is well balanced with melon, grapefruit, orange rind and quince on the entry, building nicely towards a slightly oily-textured finish. I can see this aging well in bottle - more complexity on the finish compared to say, the Valmur or Grenouilles.Vinous Media | 94 VMI believe that the authorities have now confirmed that all of Benoît Droin’s plots are properly within the boundaries of Les Clos, though Benoît will continue to use the Hommage epithet alongside the vineyard name. the 2023 Hommage à Louis has a clear and classic nose after the pale lemon colour. Brilliant balanced juice, the Clos transcends the vintage. All white fruit of course but some crunch to the white apple fruit. Juicy and generous but still with a fine firm classic core. Fabulous finish. Drink from 2028-2040. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 94-97 JMSmoke and light wood nuances set off cool floral and spicy aromas of freshly grated citrus, white peach, honeysuckle and tidal pool wisps. There is again fine intensity to the dense and stony broad-shouldered flavors that flash fine length on the ever-so-mildly warm finale where a touch of youthful austerity slowly emerges. This refreshing effort is so rich that it should drink reasonably well young but the better choice would be to allow it to age for at least a few years as it could also use more overall depth.Burghound | 93 BH

Pale lemon with a lime tint. The bouquet is sublime, with all the class of Clos yet in a refined way. The marine fossils are at work. There is adequate flesh but it is better controlled here, leading to a tighter finish. Understated, showing the sunshine in a balanced form, and pleasingly persistent. Drink from 2027-2036. Tasted Jun 2025.Jasper Morris | 94 JMRipe, elegant and relatively cool aromas include those of acacia, oyster shell, iodine and a slightly more moderate dollop of wood that can also be found on the intense big-bodied flavors that exude evident minerality on the impressively long finale where the only nit is a touch of warmth. I would add that the wood influence is sufficient such that there is a borderline tannic quality to the finish. Patience strongly advised.Burghound | 93 BHThis is a ripe style, revealing a flash of pineapple, along with peach, mirabelle plum and melon, plus a hint of seashore. Unfolds effortlessly on the palate. Fresh finish. Drink now through 2033. 200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2023 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru has a neutral, stony nose that is outperformed by the Valmur this year. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity. Fresh clementines intermix with gooseberry and red apple notes. It is quite peppery and admirably persistent toward the finish. Give this a couple of years in bottle.Vinous Media | 91+ VM

The Valmur from Domaine Christian Moreau is a vivacious wine with abundant aromas of ripe pear and melon, hints of acacia blossoms and spice underpinned with a flinty minerality. The texture has tension and snap, yet there a rich, almost plump side here that remains perfectly balanced with the crisp acidity; the finish echoes with a hint of ’beautiful bitterness’. The grapes are mostly from the 0.70ha parcel facing southeast; there is a bit from the northeast-facing side for balance. Undoubtedly charming on release, this will effortlessly age for 20 years or more.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2023 Chablis Valmur Grand Cru is more old school, with greener, apple-like fruit. It’s quite stony and more reserved than the Vaudésir. The palate is fresh and vibrant, with a lively thread of acidity. This is composed, with a dash of spice toward the finish that has put on a bit of weight since last year. The 2023 is very promising.Vinous Media | 93 VMBroad and shaded by oak spice, this white exhibits lemon, apple, honeysuckle and salty mineral flavors, all delineated by lively acidity. Fades briefly before returning with echoes of fruit and flowers on the finish. Best from 2027 through 2040. 20 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA pungent nose of smoky reduction, citrus and moderate wood toast is all that can be discerned at present so be sure to give this some air if you’re tempted to open a bottle young. Otherwise, the rich, powerful and concentrated broad-shouldered flavors also possess plenty of sappy dry extract before concluding in a lemony, dry and moderately austere finale. This is a big and firmly structured wine that is quite promising.Burghound | 93 BHPale lemon and lime colour. A tighter bouquet with a light reduction. Good tension here, thanks to the lower alcohol perhaps. Some muscles but all in a discreet fashion. 12.3% alcohol. Drink from 2027-2036. Tasted Jun 2025.Jasper Morris | 93 JM

Very pale with a green tint. Immediately saline on the nose. Medium bodied, white fruit, greater intensity at the finish and just a little bit more tension which is a bonus. 12.8% alcohol. Drink from 2027-2036. Tasted Jun 2025.Jasper Morris | 93 JMThe 2023 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru has a tightly wound bouquet with scents of tangerine, freshly picked gooseberry and flinty aromas. The palate is taut and fresh, mixing red apple with orange rind and light white tea notes. This is a well-crafted Vaudésir with satisfying weight on the finish.Vinous Media | 92 VMA ripe style, this white offers peach, apple and light citrus flavors, with a stony, mineral undertow. Starts out plump and fleshy, then the cleansing acidity sweeps in. Excellent length. Drink now through 2033. 20 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA deft application of wood sets off ripe but not really exotic aromas of white peach, acacia, citrus zest and a touch of algae. There is both fine intensity and a lovely texture to the mineral-driven medium weight flavors that deliver very good length on the balanced, refined and notably more complex finale. Lovely.Burghound | 92 BH

Sourced from an east-facing slope that yields one of the racier and more ethereal wines in the range, the 2023 Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses opens with aromas of oyster liquor, orange peel, white flowers and lemon oil. Medium- to full-bodied, taut and tensile, it is nakedly chalky, incisive and searingly saline. The site is so steep that special cable equipment is employed for its cultivation.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2023 Chablis “les Preuses” from the domaine is simply superb on both the nose and palate. The utterly complex bouquet wafts from the glass in a mix of apple, fresh lime, anise, citrus zest, a touch of paraffin and a stunning foundation of chalky minerality. On the palate the wine is pure, precise, full-bodied and utterly defined by its underlying minerality, with a great core of fruit, a fine spine of acidity, laser-like focus and a long, complex and beautifully balanced finish. A great example of les Preuses. (Drink between 2033-2070)John Gilman | 95+ JGAn airy, expressive and beautifully layered nose speaks primarily of citrus, acacia blossom, iodine and shellfish nuances. There is excellent volume and better mid-palate density to the solidly powerful and intense medium-bodied flavors that possess a sappy texture that carries over to the balanced, long and quite serious finale. This too is very classy and a wine that should amply repay up to a decade of keeping.Burghound | 94 BHThis wine has an intriguing duality. Enticing aromas of dried summer field grass and fall-picked red apple open on the nose punctuated by hints of green pear and forest floor. The rich and fulsome palate parades around a reserved fruit core that projects strength.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA stunning nose, a little wrapping of seaweed around the stones. Perfectly balanced, then just when you are enjoying the subtlety, you sense the huge block of central white fruit as well. Only a little bit spicy, in fact even quite juicy at the finish. A long-term keeper, potentially a magnificent Preuses. The texture of a silk cravat suggests Didier Seguier. Drink from 2030-2040. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 94-96 JMThis is rich and interwoven with peach, yellow plum, earth, stone and oyster shell aromas and flavors. Tangy and mouthwatering, with terrific harmony and a long, citrus- and mineral-tinged aftertaste. Drink now through 2033. 120 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2023 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru comes from 2.5 hectares of vines split over two parcels. Scents of grapefruit, white flowers, and crushed stone. A touch of sea spray comes through with time and eventually gains admirable intensity. The palate is fresh and vibrant on the entry, fine acidity, maybe not quite as complex as the Côte Bouguerots. A little more understated on the finish. But this will age well in bottle.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

From a sunny site that benefits from comparatively warm nights, Droin’s 2024 Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir delivers aromas of lemon confit, beeswax and peach, mingled with pastry notes, followed by a medium- to full-bodied, textural yet racy palate. Gourmand in profile, it marries the inherent maturity of the site with the taut musculature lent by the cool growing season. Like Vaillons, it derives from a high-maturity site and has turned out very well this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPHere too the wood treatment is reasonably subtle though hardly invisible on the vaguely exotic nose of spicy white and yellow peach, quinine and cool shellfish nuances. The super-sleek and highly refined middle weight flavors are borderline delicate before terminating in a linger, compact and dry-in-the-best sense finish. While this should be capable of rewarding up to a decade of keeping, it’s not so backward that it couldn’t be approached after only 5 or so.Burghound | 91-93 BH35% oak in the blend. Pale in colour and restrained in bouquet. Fresh melons maybe. Good tension on the palate, limestone energy, and fair persistence. An attractive wine though a little less dense than its fellow grands crus. Drink from 2029-2034. Tasted Jun 2025.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JMThe 2024 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru was not too impacted by the hail. It has a tightly wound, petrichor- and Crustacea-tinged bouquet that remains tight-lipped at the moment. The palate is fresh on the entry with citrus peel, clementine and grapefruit notes. It is harmonious, with finely judged acidity and a poised finish. This is a Grand Cru that stays within its means and benefits from that. The 2024 is very fine.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM