Domaine Jean Dauvissat Pere & Fils Vaillons, Chablis Premier Cru, France 2023

This is a serious, increasingly exciting Chablis producer. The domaine is run by Fabien Dauvissat, who has pushed the 22-hectare estate toward organic and biodynamic viticulture. The estate farms about 0.83 hectares in Vaillons, spread across three small parcels in the Châtains lieu-dit.

The 2023 Vaillons is 100% Chardonnay from the left bank of the Serein, with shallow, very rocky Kimmeridgian soils rich in fossilized marine material. It is fermented with native yeasts and raised on fine lees in demi-muids and stainless steel before additional harmonization.

In the glass, expect ripe lemon, yellow apple, citrus, white flowers, toasted hazelnut, chalk and oyster-shell minerality. It has more flesh and richness than a razor-sharp Chablis, but the acidity and mineral backbone keep it energetic and focused. A good description of the 2023 is that Vaillons sits between the domaine's more linear Terroir de la Chapelle and the broader, more gastronomic Fourchaume.