Varietal
100% Chardonnay.
Yield 58 hl/ha.
Tasting notes
Pale gold colour.
Very complex and expressive nose with notes of almond, peach and mandarin.
The mouth is fresh yet sweet with aromas of yellow fruits that support a nice minerality, long and persistant.
Food and wine pairing
This wine will be ideal served with all fish, in particular salmon in white butter sauce, but also white meats such as roasted capon or guinea fowl.
Serving suggestions
Serve ideally at a temperature of 14°C. (57°F.)
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
- Static cold settling of the musts
- Alcoholic fermentation started in stainless steel vats
- For the wine remaining in the stainless steel vats, fermentation for 7 to 10 days at controlled temperatures (18 to 20°C) to conserve as much fruit as possible.
- After 3 days, around 20% of the juice is drawn off and transferred into fine-grained wooden barrels for the continuation of the fermentation process.
- 100% malolactic fermentation.
- Ageing on lees for 10 months.
Vintage : 2016
Vintage 2016 was really rough on us in Burgundy, but it was nothing compared to the living hell we went through in Chablis!
It all started with a mild winter followed by a chilly and rainy spring that lead to a bud bursting in mid-April. We could have settled for that, as we were in the average trend of the 10 previous years. Unfortunately, a first frosting incident in the end of April caused some huge damage in the vineyard. The first assessments estimate that about 20% of the Chablis vineyard was harmed...and if the vines were to grow again, the new vegetation would not bear fruits. The damage even went to the extent of jeopardizing the pruning for the next vintage. It was a hard blow to take, and the gloomy weather that seemed to settle didn’t help much: the growth slowed down and the vegetative cycle started running late. And as the saying goes, when it rains, it pours...a second frosting incident causes new damage in the vineyard, leading to increased gaps in the development of the plots. Then, in mid-May, a hail storm comes in line and hit strongly the north of Chablis.
As if this was not already bad enough, a second hail storm hit the south of Chablis as well as a part of Auxerrois. Still, a rainy weather prevents the vines to grow as expected and also generates mildew attacks.
In spite of everything, the flowering occurs in mid-June in an unhealthy climate where mildew causes real damage in the development of the grapes. In August, the extremes reversed and hot temperatures settle. Which in a way was very positive as it allowed for a decontamination of the vines, but lasted a bit too much and created sunburns on the left grapes.
Finally, the ripening was quick and harvesting began on September, 26th. The yields are very low and also very variable because of all the weather incident that showered over the vineyard.
Fortunately, the wines – although still in their ageing period – are already full of fruit, very pleasing and well balanced.