Mission Codename Cha-bliss
You know what we just saw in the glossy wine press today? A random village-level white Burgundy with a $100 price tag. ONE HUNDRED BUCKS for your basic classified juice, is where Burgundy is heading dear operatives. Hunting down true steals like this 40% off a PREMIER CRU is getting more and more challenging as the hyperbole grows. Yet there, in the folds of time and value, hide that RARE opportunity to knocks your fluffy socks off with an electric shock, delivered straight to your soft, pink palate. You can thank some of the oldest vines in all of Chablis, the oyster shell top-soils of this prized vineyard, and a white Burgundy vintage rated 96-points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.
Pale lemon-lime with streaks of silver turning luminescent green in the bright center. Stunning unmistakable richness and intensity with ripe citrus, and piercing minerality. A cooler floral feel defines the mouthfeel with a fine, taut, grapefruit pith edge, and the faintest of doughy spiciness. Superbly integrated juicy fruit with savory and nutty layers unfold effortlessly long on the supercharged finish. Scallops sautéed in butter are in order here for sure, with that sweet sea-saltiness, and a hazelnut crust for the ultimate harmony.
If you miss this stunner (good chance that you may be reading this too late) a recipe we recommend to replicate a similarly intense beverage involves getting hold of the highest horsepower Ninja blender money can buy, throw in at least 5 different citrus fruits from the mundane lemon to the exotic kumquat or yuzu or Buddha’s Hand or, you get the drift. Hold it, the crucial next ingredient is a handful of pebbles that would otherwise ignite if it wasn’t for all that juice. Put on a hockey mask and give it a good minute to pulverize, strain with a cheesecloth and voila! Maybe no Vaillons, and maybe a fuse or two blown, yet worth the effort, unless you pile up on the real deal.
Here’s what the wine press has to say on 2017 Chablis:
William Kelley, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate - “Returning to Chablis for my annual two-week tasting trip, I was delighted to discover that the 2017 vintage has developed very nicely indeed during its élevage. Revisiting the vintage this spring, parallels with 2010 are just as apparent as the analogies with 2009, and I was impressed to find that many wines are displaying more cut and tension than they did 12 months ago—a sentiment shared by some of the region’s best producers. The finest young 2017s now combine the fragrant, expressive fruit tones they displayed last year with excellent structure and precision, and there can be little argument that 2017 is the finest Chablis vintage since 2014. Readers are advised to acquire the wines while they are still available.”
What the Winery Says
2017 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru
- Winemaker
- Marie-Ange Robin
- Varietal
- 100% Chardonnay
- Vintage
- 2017
- Appellation
- Chablis Vaillons Premier Cru AOC, Yonne, Burgundy
- Terroir
- White clay with fossilized oyster shells
- Vineyard age
- 50-70 years old
- Abv
- 13%
- Aging
- 10 months
- Barrels
- 10% new French oak