Varietal
100% Chardonnay.
Yield 58 hl/ha.
Tasting notes
Greenish gold in colour.
Open, mineral nose with notes of ripe grapefruit, white blossoms, and mint.
Round and full on the palate, typical of its terroir, with flavours of ripe lemon and fresh hazelnut.
Food and wine pairing
Ideal with salmon in butter sauce, as well as with roasted capon or guinea fowl.
Serving suggestions
14°C
Ageing potential
Already very pleasant, it will keep for at least 5 years in the cellar.
Origin
Chablis, located near Auxerre in the Yonne department, is one of Burgundy's most northerly vineyards. The appellation has 40 climats classified as premiers crus, including 17 main ones.
Situated on the left bank of the Serein, in the centre of the hillside to the south-west of Chablis, the 105 hectares of Premier Cru Vaillons enjoy a particularly favourable exposure and, quite rightly, an excellent reputation. Gently sloping hillsides. Kimmeridgian marl.
The diversity of this Premier Cru's sub-soils is reflected in the plots of Beugnon, Chatain and Minot. Vinified separately, the cuvées from these 3 parcels were then blended to bring out the full richness of the vintage.
Behind the term "Vaillons" lies the notion of a small valley (from the Latin "vallis" or "valles" meaning "elongated space between two areas").
Vinification and maturing
- pneumatic pressing
- cold static settling alcoholic fermentation began in stainless steel tanks
- after 3 days, 15% of the juice was racked and transferred to fine-grained barrels where it continued alcoholic fermentation
- the remaining juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks for 7 to 10 days under controlled temperatures (18 to 20°C) to preserve a maximum of fruit and glycerol
- the barrel-fermented wine was stirred over a 3 month-period
- 100% malolactic fermentation
- aged on fine lees until May
Vintage : 2007
The winter was cold, the coldest on record since 1986. The vines bled in April (rising of the sap) and budburst occurred in scattered locations around the 16th, but it was a slow process. May saw little sun and 20% more precipitation than normal; in spite of lovely inflorescence, the vines were rather pale. Lost time was quickly made up for in June with an increase in temperatures. The thermometer showed between 34 and 37°C on 9 and 10 July and the vines were in good health, with plump, tight clusters. Heat wave-like conditions set in for three weeks bringing about water stress that halted vine growth. August was the coldest on record in the preceding twenty years which alleviated the water stress. High temperatures during the first week of September resulted in a harvest start date set for the 16th, the earliest since 1976 with the exception of the atypical year of 2003. The grapes were sweet, low in acidity and deep gold in colour. They arrived at the presses between 19 and 29 September, avoiding any risk of rot due to the considerable amount of precipitation that fell toward the end of the month. The harvest was very healthy, with a higher pH than average for Chablis ranging from 3.3 to 3.5, and rather low acidity with a potential alcohol level of 13%. Yields were rather uneven, but were generally reached. Work at the winery was focused on bringing out aromatic expression. Alcoholic fermentations were rapid for the first juices brought in and longer and more drawn out for those that arrived during the second week. Partial malolactic fermentations enabled us to preserve this vintage’s freshness and balance.