2011 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru "Vaudesir" (Pre-Arrival)
SKU #1114677
92-94
points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Layers of juicy yellow stone fruits, smoke, almonds, oak, ash, licorice and wild flowers wrap around the palate as the 2011 Chablis Vaudesir fleshes out in the glass. It possesses marvelous textural richness and depth, partially supported by the 40% use of oak, which adds a measure of textural volume and depth. Rich layers of honeyed, expansive fruit power through to the finish. At the moment, the oak is a bit noticeable, both in texture and flavor. Anticipated maturity: 2013+. Once again, my tasting with Benoit Droin was one of the highlights of my trip to Chablis.Vintage 2011 was characterized by an early, easy and even flowering, which resulted in a generous crop... Droin doesn’t seem to get a lot of attention in the press, but in my opinion, this is one of the very finest producers in Chablis. I have also had great luck with older bottles, as these are typically wines that age beautifully.
(8/ 2012)
91-93
points
Allen Meadows - Burghound
(from 30+ year old vines aged in 50% wood, some of which is new). Noticeable wood sets off very ripe yellow and white orchard fruit with background nuances of mango, seaweed and mineral reduction. There is exceptional richness to the dense and seductively textured, indeed even opulent flavors that display a bit of wood toast on the otherwise dry, intense, focused and impressively long finish. This is really very good though as is usually the case with this wine, it is carrying more wood that I can personally warm up to.
(9/ 2012)
89-91
points
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Bright yellow-green. High-pitched aromas of citrus zest, tarragon, thyme, mint and metallic minerality, along with a deeper suggestion of hazelnut. Juicy and silky in the mouth, with an attractive texture but limited personality today. In a rich, rather easygoing style, finishing with good length and a touch of bitterness. Droin described this wine as "more complacent" than the Montee de Tonnerre
(7/ 2012)
K&L Notes
Since the year 1620, fourteen generations of the Droin family have passed their winemaking tradition on to the next. Since 1999, all vinification has taken place at a modern wine facility built below the Grand Cru vineyards in Chablis, where they hold more than 4 hectares of vines. Grape clusers are handled very gently before pressing and the wine is matured in vats and neutral oak before bottling almost exactly one year after harvest.
