This week I attended the “Art of Chablis Trade Tasting” in London to catch up on the latest happenings in one of the wine world’s great classical regions. Billed as a discovery of the various appellation styles, from Petit Chablis to Grand Cru, there was a fairly mixed bag of wines on show, some represented in the UK, some seeking representation.

After a pretty indifferent “restaurant vintage” in Chablis in 2015, and then a crop reduced by 60-70% in 2016, like much of Burgundy, this is a region in flux with many concerns for its future commercial path.

The last serious quality vintage in Chablis was certainly 2014, producing wines with taught acidity, tension and rasping chalky minerality. But despite its slightly lacklustre reputation, the 2015s on taste (the majority of wines), were encouragingly impressive and seemed to have grown in stature, and showed plenty of mineral classism and steely freshness despite lacking some visceral thrill.

But of course there were some real stand out wines, none more so than JP Droin’s incredible 2014 Grand Cru. From grapes grown on Kimmeridgian marls, this wine was clarified straight after vinification. The musts were then placed partly in stainless steel tanks, and partly in barrels. The malolactic fermentation was done systematically. Ageing is for around 10 months in partly new barrels.

Jean Paul et Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 2014, 13 Abv. 

The 2014 Chablis Valmur is one of the most impressive wines in the lineup. The aromatics are very exotic with a tantalising nose of quince, green fruits, pineapple pastille, bruleed figs and subtle tarte tatin notes from the oak aging. The palate is broad, expressive and fresh, with a beautifully creamy, textured palate. This wine has everything… a complex nose, a youthful, dense expressive structure, and a long, exotic, nuanced finish and plenty of classical dusty, pineapple intense, Chablis notes. Such a beautiful, creamy palate texture, seductive fruits and a crystalline finish. Supremely vibrant, pithy, chalky, this wine is almost overpowering in intensity. I could drink this all day.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)