Chablis continues to be a haven of well-priced and excellent value Burgundy. After several scorching hot vintages in which the crisp, piercing soul of old-school Chablis seemed temporarily offstage, 2021 provided a return to tradition. A cooler, wetter, trickier growing season pushed harvest into late September, and the wines are effortlessly tasty in a vintage that was anything but.
Romain Collet dabbles with modern, oak-infused Chablis, and the wines are tasty if not exactly traditional. But our favorites are always the classics: plenty of stony freshness, low or no toast, and clean zippy finishes. Romain’s 2021s are exquisite – Burghound called them “entirely classic” – and lovers of old school Chablis will find much to like.
For his 2021 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons, Romain uses an elevage of ⅓ barrels, ⅓ foudre, and ⅓ stainless tank, and it suits the vineyard very well. The vines here are between 55 and 60 years old, and they produce a nicely balanced wine, with good concentration and well-supported ripeness.
Jasper Morris found the bouquet “both stylish and typical, stones with lemon zest.” Burghound praised its “cool and airy aromas,” its “intense and attractively sleek” flavors, and its “lovely minerality.” The Burgundy pricing bubble still hasn’t floated to Chablis, and we think this is tremendously polished sub-$40 white Burgundy. Enjoy this all fall and into cocktail party season.
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Collet Chablis 1er “Vaillons” 2021
bottle price: $38
FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES
