2018 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru "Vaulorent"
SKU #1487707
95 points
Decanter
Sold at a higher price than the domaine's straight Fourchaume because it's 'more profound', according to Didier Séguier, this comes from a Premier Cru that often makes wines of Grand Cru quality. Subtly wooded, with mouthwatering salinity, this shows the dry extract and concentration that are features of the vintage complemented by creamy, pillowy lees. (TA)
(7/2019)
93-95 points
Vinous
The 2018 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru takes all the signatures of this small site and amps them up to the next level. Lemon confit, almond, dried fruit and floral notes lift from an intense, vertical wine endowed with real palate presence and depth. Seamless, ample and creamy, the Vaulorent is simply superb. Tasted next to the Fourchaume, the Vaulorent is a bigger and more dramatic wine. (AG)
(1/2020)
94 points
John Gilman
The 2018 Vaulorent is clearly of grand cru quality this year! The wine is beautifully pure and complex on both the nose and palate, with a nice sense of reserve that augurs very, very well for its future evolution in bottle. The nose delivers a refined mix of pear, fresh lime, flinty minerality, citrus peel, dried flowers and plenty of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and racy, with great nascent complexity, a superb core, bright acids and outstanding focus and grip on the soil-driven and stellar finish.
(1/2020)
94 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
As usual, the 2018 Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent is one of the finest premiers crus in the cellar, delivering an incipiently complex bouquet of fresh peach, crisp green orchard fruit, dried white flowers, smoke and oyster shell. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and complete, it's layered and multidimensional, with fine depth at the core, racy acids and a long, penetrating finish. (WK)
(7/2020)
94 points
Wine Enthusiast
Green pear freshness edged with lemon marks out this wine’s nose. The pear is rounder and riper on the palate but that freshness remains, leading to cooling, concentrated and chalky depth. It has elegance and lasting freshness—a triumph in 2018. (AK)
(12/2020)
93 points
James Suckling
Ripe apples and pears with crushed-stone undertones on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, creamy and layered with a subtle, focused finish.
(8/2020)
92 points
Allen Meadows - Burghound
Not surprisingly this is aromatically similar to the Fourchaume though with perhaps a bit more elegance. The slightly sleeker and finer medium-bodied flavors possess good power and punch while remaining refined and composed on the impressively long and well-balanced finale. This is lovely but for the first time in many vintages, this isn't, at least not yet in any event, necessarily much more complex than the Fourchaume. With that said, I suspect that will change with a few years of bottle age.
(10/2020)
91 points
Wine Spectator
A mix of apple, lemon, lanolin and a touch of vanilla mark this rich white. It's backed by vibrant acidity and the lingering aftertaste suggests lanolin and mineral notes. (BS)
(12/2020)
K&L Notes
93 points Neal Martin for Vinous: "The 2018 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru is clean and precise on the nose, and more classically styled than the Vaillons or Fourchaume, with fragrant jasmine, white peach and lemon zest unfurling from the glass. The palate is clean and precise, the acidity beautifully judged, and there is wonderful delineation from start to finish. Linear in style, it does not fan out on the finish, but maintains a fine attack and leaves a lemongrass note tingling on the tongue. Excellent." (9/2020)
92-94 points Jasper Morris for Inside Burgundy: "Pale lemon with a lime tint. Some gracious generous voluptuous qualities to the nose. The style of the year seems to work really well here and there is a little bacon fat and beneficial youthful bitterness. This is very complete and has an excellent grip. It has reached but not exceeded the limit of quality ripeness. Tasted: May 2019.
