2016 Domaine Jean-Paul et Benoit Droin Chablis Valmur Grand Cru

Slightly hazy yellow-green. Tangy nose suggests green tropical fruits. Fat, sweet and rich; a step up in volume from the Vaudésir and Blanchots. Expressive in the middle by virtue of its flesh and weight but then a bit tart-edged on the finish. This dense, spicy wine initially seemed more accessible than the Vaudésir but I would not be surprised if its shuts down after the bottling. These vines average just 15 years of age.

The 2016 Chablis Grand Cru Valmur has a clean and precise bouquet that is less expressive and flamboyant than the Vaudésir but with gorgeous yellow plum and lemon curd scents that reluctantly waft from the glass with rigorous aeration, underneath which are scents of cold slate. The palate is very smooth on the entry with just a touch of orange rind and tangerine. Later it becomes more linear and tensile with a Bâtard-Montrachet-like finish! This should turn into a glorious grand cru Chablis.