Joseph Drouhin Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesir 2023

WINERY NOTES:

TASTING: “An exquisite wine often drunk on its own as an aperitif. Pure and limpid colour, with a faint greenish hint. On the nose, fresh aromas of flower and fruit (lemony flavours) and, at times, spicy notes of coriander. On the palate: harmonious aromas bringing character and elegance. The magnitude of its Grand Cru origin and the light salty notes from the Kimmeridgian soil are in evidence. Remarkably long and complex persistence in the aftertaste.”

VINEYARD: “A famous vineyard whose relief has no equivalent in Burgundy. Its round shape and steep slope evoke an ancient amphitheater. There are two major exposures: one is due south in the northern section and the other south west in the southern section. It is one of the largest among the seven Grand Crus of Chablis.The name comes from the French “chemin des vaudésirs” (path of the vaudésirs) cutting the vineyard down the middle. In the sixties, when the Chablis vineyards were all abandoned, Robert Drouhin recognized the potential of this region which had been ravaged by the phylloxera disease a century before. He was one of the first Burgundy propriétaires who set about revitalizing the area. The Kimmeridgian limestone contains millions of tiny marine fossils embedded in a kind of whitish mortar which may have been once the bottom of the sea... hundreds of million years ago. This marine origin gives the wines of Chablis their unique flavour.”

VITICULTURE: “Throughout its 100-hectare estate (247 acres), Maison Joseph Drouhin has adopted organic viticulture practices since the late 1980s and biodynamic viticulture since the 1990s. Our credo is to provide 'natural answers to natural problems'. All our practices show the greatest respect for the soil, the vine and the environment. Our deliberately low production yields allow our grapes to reveal the precise expression of each terroir.”

WINEMAKING: “Harvest: grapes harvested by hands in open-work crates. If necessary, a careful sorting is proceeded. Vinification: slow pressing of the whole bunch in a pneumatic press. The juice of the last press is separated of the free run-juice. The juice is transferred to an existing wine barrel (or older) after a little settling. Ageing: the alcoholic fermentation and the ageing is being processed in oak barrels (500 litres, no new barrels) during 12 to 15 months. Throughout the ageing process, decisions are taken only after careful tasting evaluation. The data obtained is completed through technical analysis. As with every other Joseph Drouhin wine, absolute priority is given to the true expression of terroir and character of the vintage.”

VINTAGE: "2023 stands out as one of the hottest years in Burgundy, even surpassing 2022. The grapes were harvested at perfect maturity. The wines are very aromatic with notes of yellow fruits mingling with flower hints. The palate is ample and full-bodied. They combine generosity, freshness, and finesse, with a climate that enhances the terroirs without overpowering them. Like 2022, the 2023 vintage is expected to be highly appealing."