The release of the fantastic 2020 vintage from Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin.
Neal Martin
“People often cite Domaines Raveneau and Vincent Dauvissat as the two greatest exponents of Chablis, however, I would like to add a third – Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin. Over the last five or six years, Benoît Droin has really ratcheted up the quality. I cannot exaggerate how often Droin’s wines end up the best of the flight during the annual “Burgfest” blind tastings. Again and again, they shine against stiff competition. It is time to accept that Droin is now one of the leading producers in Chablis.”
Petit Chablis 2020 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin
£168 per 12 bottles IB
Vinous 86 points - Neal Martin (June 2021)
Drinking window: 2021 - 2025
The 2020 Petit Chablis, which had been bottled, has a taut, green apple-scented bouquet. The saline palate delivers an oyster-shell-tinged opening and a touch of green olive toward the finish, which shows decent weight. Fine.
Chablis Vaillons 2020 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin
£150 per 6 bottles IB
Vinous (90-92) points - Neal Martin (June 2021)
Drinking window: 2024 - 2040
The 2020 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru has a flinty, focused, energetic nose that feels more harmonious than the preceding Côte de Léchet. The palate is taut, fresh and saline in the mouth, showing great depth and concentration toward the finish. This will be worth looking out for.
Chablis Mont de Milieu 2020 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin
£180 per 6 bottles IB
Vinous (91-93) points - Neal Martin (June 2021)
Drinking window: 2025 - 2045
The 2020 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru is much more neutral and backward on the nose compared to the Vaillons, offering only light struck-flint aromas. The palate is taut and fresh, and very saline in the mouth. This is old-school Chablis, a bit mean but very long and superbly salty on the aftertaste. Very fine.
Chablis Fourchaume 2020 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin
£180 per 6 bottles IB
Vinous (91-93) points - Neal Martin (June 2021)
Drinking window: 2024 - 2042
The 2020 Chablis Fourchaume 1er Cru had clearly closed down, but as Droin himself mentioned, you can feel that the fruit will come through on the nose in another month’s time. The palate is fresh and taut, offering notes of pineapple and guava, very good weight and concentration toward the finish, and a spicier aftertaste than the Montmains. Excellent.
Chablis Montee de Tonnerre 2020 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin
£198 per 6 bottles IB
Vinous (92-94) points - Neal Martin (June 2021)
Drinking window: 2025 - 2048
The 2020 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru has a fresh, delineated, flinty and minerally bouquet that gains intensity in the glass. The palate is very well balanced, concentrated and already quite weighty in the mouth. This is underpinned by a superb seam of acidity, and there is tangible salinity on the finish. Superb.
Chablis Blanchots 2020 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin
£294 per 6 bottles IB
Vinous (92-94) points - Neal Martin (June 2021)
Drinking window: 2024 - 2048
The 2020 Chablis Blanchot Grand Cru is quite backward on the nose, unfolding to display touches of cold wet limestone and shucked oysters, yet always discreet; this a Grand Cru that does not want to brag. The palate is well balanced with a tangy, quite concentrated entry, fine weight, and good density toward the finish, even if I am not convinced that it will become Droin’s most complex 2020 in the end. We’ll see.
Chablis Valmur 2020 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin
£294 per 6 bottles IB
Vinous (94-96) points - Neal Martin (June 2021)
Drinking window: 2025 - 2050
The 2020 Chablis Valmur Grand Cru is much more expressive on the nose compared to the Vaudésir, featuring copious yellow plum, yellow flower and mineral scents. The palate is very saline on the entry, matched with a perfect bead of acidity, and fans out wonderfully on the finish. This is going to be an outstanding Valmur.
Chablis Vaudesir 2020 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin
£294 per 6 bottles IB
Vinous (93-95) points - Neal Martin (June 2021)
Drinking window: 2025 - 2050
The 2020 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru has an almost clinical bouquet, wonderfully defined, with superb salinity and mineralité. The focused palate is citric and tensile, and the salinity gets the saliva flowing. Classic Chablis through and through. This will be an exceptional Vaudésir.
Chablis Les Clos Hommage a Louis 2020 J-P & Benoit Droin
£360 per 6 bottles IB
Vinous(94-96) points - Neal Martin (June 2021)
Drinking window: 2025 - 2050
The 2020 Chablis Hommage a Louis Grand Cru has an already irresistible bouquet of beautifully defined yellow fruit, limestone, red apple and white peachy aromas. The palate is very harmonious, distinctly saline and quite powerful. The intense, spicy finish lingers in the mouth. This will surely vie with the Valmur for supremacy come bottling. Outstanding.
Available at Seckford for delivery right away
Carriage for UK mainland is £18 per delivery
Offered subject to final confirmation