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
Ideal served with seafood, fish such as salmon in butter sauce or grilled, as well as with roasted capon or guinea fowl and goat cheese.
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 12 months.
Vintage : 2020
The Covid crisis has certainly marked this year's harvest, which nonetheless has been able to go ahead! Despite the year's record temperatures and lack of rainfall, there is been no lack of quality, although yields are down, with an especially mixed picture with regard to reds. However, these have generally been very well-balanced. Overall, we have seen nice levels of acidity, promising good aging potential…
A record-breaking vintage:
- Record-breaking harvest: The first Chablis grapes were harvested on 24th August. For the record, last year the first grapes were not picked until the 13th September!
- Record-breaking heat: temperatures regularly broke the 35°C mark (95°F). Many winemakers did their harvesting at night-time to deliver optimal juice quality.
- Record-breaking quantities of grapes picked: we pressed the equivalent of more than 40 hectares (98.84 acres).
- Record-breaking numbers of old vines with more than 50 hectares (123.55 acres) of vines aged between 40 and 55 years, not to mention plots of Chablis dating to 1934 and plots of Aligoté planted in 1929!
- Record-breaking disinfection measures taken to protect employees and wine-makers and help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
First tastings by Lucie Depuydt:
«We got acidity levels that were just right for the balance we were trying to achieve. Fermentation came along very nicely; we have been working with grapes with decent levels of sugar (unlike the previous two years) and the yeasts, whether naturally-occurring or selected, appreciated this. The process of alcoholic fermentation has been completed in more than 95% of vats. The Chablis early featured intense aromas of pink grapefruit and pear. We put the Premiers Crus and Grands Crus into oak barrels, using a large number of 450 and 500 litre barrels to add finesse and elegance to the wine. Malolactic fermentation brought extra roundness and lots of complexity to our wines».