2017 - Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent, William Fevre

Drawn from a harvest that began on September 4 and delivered comparatively small yields, the 2017 Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent is a notable success. It emerges from the glass with notes of pear, oyster shell and wheat toast, framed by a subtle edge of smoky reduction. Medium- to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it offers an ample core of fruit structured around a bright spine of acidity and a long, saline finish. Racy and precise, it has aged with grace and is beginning to pay dividends for those with patience.

The 2017 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru needs to manifest a little more delineation and focus on the nose, where it does not quite deliver the clarity or mineral drive of its peers. The palate is much better, offering fine acidity, flavors of sour lemon mixed with orange pith and a touch of oyster shell, and good concentration on the finish, which leads me to think that the aromatics just need more time in bottle (and indeed, they do open with aeration). I will give this the benefit of the doubt. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune.

Fresh and vivid green fruit on the nose with a touch of herby character and fuller body than their other premiers crus. Limited complexity though. (RH)