2016 Chablis Vaillons

Green and fresh on the nose. Juicy volume with a finely sculpted structure. Bone-dry end. Long. Great framework with (just) enough convincing fruit in the middle. Very pure and archetypal. (JR)

The 2016 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons hails from a parcel that's a mere 400 meters away from the domaine's holdings in Séchet, yet the wines are worlds apart. The Vaillons exhibits a muskier bouquet of orange blossom, peach and honeycomb, followed by a medium to full-bodied, pure and textural palate that's expansive and open-knit. It's more immediately charming, while the tighter-knit Séchet will need more time.

Pale, bright yellow. Piquant scents of lemon drop, white grapefruit and white peach. Tight and citrussy in the mouth and hiding its richness in the early going. But this rich yet energetic Vaillons boasts terrific purity of fruit and cut and a very long, rising, refined finish. This fruit was not frosted but the yield was still under 35 hectoliters per hectare, according to Dauvissat, who also told me that his degenerating old vines didn't produce a second generation of grapes in 2016.