Chablis 1e cru ’Montmains’ - Chardonnay (21) Droin

Chardonnay | 1er cru 'Montmains' | Kimmeridgien terroir | 45 jaar oude stokken | whole bunch press | vergisting en rijping in deels staaltank en eikenhouten vaten voor 8 à 10 maanden | stenig | iets vuursteen | zilt | citrus | witte bloemen | amandel | subtiele vulling | zachte ondertoon | goede zuren

Review

The 2021 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru has a classic Chablis-like bouquet with scents of shucked oyster shell and light fumé notes emerging from the glass. The palate is well balanced with a saline, lemon rind infused entry, moderate weight, perhaps not quite as precise as the Vaillons yet with satisfying persistence. Fine. 91/100 Neal Martin

Seamless and fine-boned, the 2021 Chablis 1er Cru Montmains exhibits notes of honeyed pear, white flowers, almond and hazelnut. Medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, it's bright and pretty, concluding with a mouthwatering finish. 90/100 William Kelley

As I've written before, Benoît Droin's immensely dependable wines are among the most consistent in the region, and to my palate, the combination of Diam closures and élevages employing recently used and, indeed, occasionally new wood (though only up to 10%) means that these wines need a few years in bottle to show their best. But everything invariably comes together to impressive effect, and the wines age very gracefully indeed. Farming is conventional at this 26-hectare domaine, but the soils are cultivated mechanically, and synthetic treatments are kept to a minimum. Harvest is early and is partially mechanized, followed by fermentation and élevage in stainless steel and wood, with the proportions varying according to the cuvée. In 2021, Droin opted to pick quite early, all in one go, and reported good sanitary conditions for the year, with the wines reminding him of a rather richer, fleshier version of 2007.