Varietal
100% Chardonnay.
Yield 58 hl/ha.
Tasting notes
Light gold colour.
An expressive and complex nose with almond, peach and mandarin notes.
The mouth is fresh yet sweet with aromas of yellow fruits elegantly blended with a nice minerality. A long and persistant finish.
Food and wine pairing
A great companion to all fish (salmon in white butter sauce), shellfish and crustaceans (guinea fowl) and white meats such as a roasted capon.
Serving suggestions
Ideally served at a temperature of 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
- 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 12 months.
Vintage : 2018
Winter was particularly mild and the vine cycle began, once again, very early with consequently inflorescence. And this earliness did not stop all season long.
Spring was very wet and rainy but no frost this year! However some localized hailstorms caused damages in some villages of the Chablis area.
Then the climatic conditions significantly changed with a very dry late spring and summer that have led to fears of a new small harvest while keeping the cryptogamic diseases risks away.
The very high temperatures in August have resulted in falling down the acidity in the grapes and have hastened the harvest beginning. Furthermore the long dry and hot summer allowed us to minimize the necessary treatments against vine sicknesses.
September finally dispelled any doubts offering one of the best vintages in Chablis for almost 20 years. Mother Nature offered us a real gift after two difficult years in the region’s vineyards.
The extremely early harvest finally offered quantity thanks to some rainfalls by the end of August. The first grapes were cut (for the Crémants) by the 25th of August and the last Chablis were harvested on September, the 21st.
70% of the volumes were in the wineries around the 10th of September, offering clean, flawless juices with body, fruit and nice acidity.