Premier Cru Vaillons
The vintage
The beginning of the year was marked by very little rainfall, particularly in February. After a mild winter, budburst occurred around 25 March, 8 days earlier than the average for the last 20 years. At the beginning of April, frost episodes as low as -4°C were recorded in Chablis without causing any damage. May continued to be cool, with a hailstorm on the 8th and cold mornings (0 to 2°C) accompanied by strong winds around mid-May. The weather began to warm up from 22 May onwards, and the first flowers appeared at the beginning of June in the Grands Crus. The summer that followed was hot and dry, with several heatwaves. The old vines with well-established root systems fared better than the younger plants, which suffered from the weather conditions. Rain did not arrive until the end of the harvest. The harvest began on 11 September in very hot weather. The grapes were a lovely golden colour, rather small, with excellent ripeness and good acidity.
Location
An appellation of 129 hectares located on the left bank of the Serein. On the Côte des Vaillons, there are eight different named vineyards that can claim this appellation.
Terroir
Here, the soil is more calcareous than clayey, resting on hard, compact, and highly fractured Portlandian limestone (a soil layer covering the Kimmeridgian).
Winemaking
Application of the principle of gravity to avoid any pumping that could alter the quality of the wine. Short pneumatic pressing (1h30 to 2h00) for a delicate separation between the solid and liquid parts of the grapes. Very light static settling to retain enough fine lees for the alcoholic and malolactic fermentations to proceed naturally. The must is placed in French oak barrels (on average 6 years old) for 30 to 40% of the cuvée. The remainder is vinified in small stainless steel tanks.
Tasting
Fresh and intense bouquet with notes of fruit and flowers combined with a touch of minerality.
A refined wine, round and full on the palate.
Alcohol content
12,5
Grapes
Chardonnay
: 100 %