Gautheron Chablis 1er “Vaillons” 2021

Gautheron’s Chablis are old-school: little to no-oak, brisk freshness, clean minerality, excellent clarity of terroir. Jasper Morris MW is also a fan, writing in early 2023, “I must say that Cyril Gautheron’s wines are climbing up my table of Chablis producers.”

Vaillons premier cru lies on a slope parallel to Montmains on the left bank. Gautheron’s Vaillons 2021 is round and full on the palate despite the vintage’s relative freshness. Morris gave it 90-93 points, with these comments: “Very pale colour, with impressive tension on the nose. The stones are there and a bit of flesh, too, pure and typical with the usual dry finish. Old vines here. Really very long.” We found this wine terrific, and of an entirely different character than the right bank cuvées. There’s more of a savory feel to the wine, with minerals and oyster shells mixing with dry apple fruit.