Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin, Nathalie & Gilles Fèvre, Christian Moreau
Burgundy's northernmost extent, Chablis, is 100 kilometres from Beaune, and separated from it by the Morvan massif. The flinty, chiselled expression of Chardonnay made here is quite distinct in style from further south. We weren't necessarily expecting the warm 2022 vintage to favour Chablis, but tasting a wide variety of exceptionally good examples has convinced us otherwise. Spring frosts did more damage here than on the Côte d'Or, but secondary budding on the vine saved the day. Flowering took place in favourably dry, sunny weather. Summer was hot, but with little in the way of damaging heat spikes. Dry conditions meant no disease pressure, and harvest saw a very high-quality crop, which has in turn led to some extremely successful wines.
There is more than one Fèvre in Chablis, but we have gotten especially excited this year about Nathalie & Giles Fèvre. This small estate has some plum holdings of old vines in excellent sites. They also use very low proportions of oak in order to preserve purity of style, and these are very classic, precise, linear expressions of Chablis. Christian Moreau is an even smaller estate, but also one that enjoys old vine holdings in some top sites. 2022 brings a sunlit glint of ripeness to the tangy, saline 'oyster shell' character that is so characteristic of Chablis and this domaine.
With an impressive portfolio of crus, the Droin wines constitute a fascinating flavour map of Chablis terroir. Benoît Droin took over here twenty years ago and has never sat still since. He likes to play with the balance between stainless steel and oak according to the vintage and individual cru. His 2022s have retained an invigorating freshness thanks to hot days in the vineyards being countered by cold nights. These are classy, high-energy wines. /NT
Read our full 2022 Burgundy vintage report here.
Offered subject to remaining unsold; for shipment Spring 2024
