En Primeur | Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin

It is quite something to be the 14th generation of your family making wines in the same town since 1620. Unsurprisingly over this 400-year period, the Droins have built up a sizeable 26-hectare estate and an enviable portfolio of appellations from both Grands and Premiers Crus within the Chablis region. Benoît joined his father at the estate in 1999 at the age of 24, and for the last decade has assumed total control. During this period, he has continued the family’s respect for their fine terroir and soil but has quietly adjusted the winemaking style. The use of oak is less prevalent today than in his father Jean-Paul’s time, resulting in a greater terroir identity to the domaine’s wines and a mineral drive and edge. At the risk of testing his natural modesty, Benoît is very firmly positioning himself and the estate as one of Chablis’s greats. Regularly achieving top spot in blind tastings, in our view his brilliance is unsurpassed today.

Whilst 2020 was Benoît’s earliest harvest since 2003, starting on August 25th, in style and quality there is no correlation between these two vintages at all. 2003 was the result of intense and extreme August heat. By contrast whilst warm and dry, in 2020 the timing of the harvest reflects more the advancement of seasons, with the earliest budding in Benoît’s lifetime on 5th April. This brought forward the flowering and inevitably the vendange. The wines represent a magnificent combination of full intensity and drive of saline bite and freshness, the hallmark of any great Chablis.

We’re limiting purchases to 1 or 2 cases per wine due to high demand. Please contact your account manager or wine@goedhuis.com to discuss larger quantities.

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Vintage  
Size Qty Price Price (Inc VAT) Stat
 
2020

Chablis Jean-Paul Droin

12x75cl 10+ £192.00 RELEASED

12x75cl - £262.54 Inc VAT RELEASED

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Tasting Notes

  • GDH

    Goedhuis, November 2021

    From a selection of plots covering 9 hectares this is a glorious representative for village Chablis, with bright floral fruit aromas with a touch of lime zest. This unoaked cuvée reflects a giving Chardonnay character, hints of white stone fruits and jasmine, a sprinkle of honeysuckle coats the mouth before giving way to a lively freshness on the finish. Quite lovely.

  • MJ

    Matthew Jukes, January 2022,
    Score: 17.5

    Slightly safer and less ostentatious than the MdT, this is a fabulous wine that really gets to the heart of the vintage, its vineyard, and the Domaine’s stylish talents. This is a bargain, too, so I expect it to get snapped up without delay. The fruit and detail far exceed this wine’s price.

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2020

Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons Jean-Paul Droin

6x75cl 10+ £150.00 RELEASED

6x75cl - £196.07 Inc VAT RELEASED

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Tasting Notes

  • GDH

    Goedhuis, November 2021

    This beautiful 1er Cru is a joyous example from 5 different lieux dits covering the slopes of Vaillons, famed for its perfume and florality. With characters of rose petal and yellow fruits, the initial attack is graceful and refined, but then the wine builds on the palate to have a lovely 2020 richness of fruit. Benoît says almost “gourmand”, it is perfectly held together by both its brightness and energy.

  • NM

    Neal Martin, October 2021,
    Score: 90-92

    The 2020 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru has a flinty, focused, energetic nose that feels more harmonious than the preceding Côte de Léchet. The palate is taut, fresh and saline in the mouth, showing great depth and concentration toward the finish. This will be worth looking out for. Drink 2024 - 2040

  • BURG

    Burghound, October 2021,
    Score: 90-92

    Here there is less citrus and more floral influence on the white pepper and mineral reduction inflected nose. The sleek, intense and attractively textured medium weight flavors possess a bracing salinity on the agreeably dry and equally well-focused finale that is just a bit firmer. Drink 2026+

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2020

Chablis 1er Cru Montmains Jean-Paul Droin

6x75cl 10+ £168.00 RELEASED

6x75cl - £217.67 Inc VAT RELEASED

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Tasting Notes

  • GDH

    Goedhuis, November 2021

    Montmains sits on the left bank of Chablis with a deeper Kimmeridge clay soil as its base, helping to create quite a substantial wine. Benoit ferments a third of the fruit in oak casks. This is evident in this high-class wine combining full flavours of hazelnuts and an almost tannic weight of dry extract with lively citrus energy. Less showy than some cuvées but no doubting its class.

  • NM

    Neal Martin, October 2021,
    Score: 92-94

    The 2020 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru is another precise, steely classic Chablis from Benoît Droin. The palate is beautifully balanced and poised, showing good concentration and wonderful cohesion and salinity toward the finish. I cannot wait to taste the final version. Drink 2025 - 2042

  • BURG

    Burghound, October 2021,
    Score: 90-92

    Very pretty and quite cool aromas timidly offer up notes of lemon-lime, white-fleshed fruit, sea breeze and a touch of algae character. There is once again good vibrancy and detail to the delicious and appealingly textured flavors that possess fine depth on the balanced finish that exhibits a touch of wood as it sits on the palate. Drink 2026+

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Pricing

  • IN BOND prices exclude UK Duty and VAT. Wines can be purchased In Bond for storage in Private Reserves or another bonded warehouse, or for export to non-EU countries. Duty and VAT must be paid before delivery can take place.

  • RETAIL prices include UK Duty and VAT. Wines for UK delivery can only be purchased this way.

Additional Information

  • Duty Paid wines have been removed from Bond and cannot subsequently be returned to Bond.  VAT is payable on Duty Paid wines. These wines must remain Duty Paid but can be purchased as such for storage subject to VAT.

  • En Primeur wines can only be purchased In Bond. On arrival in the UK these wines can either be stored In Bond in Private Reserves or another bonded warehouse or delivered directly to you. When you decide to take delivery, Duty and VAT at the prevailing rate become payable.

Tax status

  • IB: In Bond. These wines have had no UK Duty or VAT paid on them. Wines can be purchased In Bond for storage in Private Reserves or another bonded warehouse, or for export to non-EU countries.

  • DP: Duty Paid. Wines for immediate UK delivery must be purchased Duty Paid. VAT is payable on Duty Paid wines. Wines which have been removed from Bond cannot subsequently be returned to Bond. They must remain Duty Paid but can be purchased as such for storage subject to VAT.

  • EP: En Primeur. These wines are lying in the Domaines’ cellars until shipping. They can only be purchased In Bond. On arrival in the UK these wines can either be stored In Bond in Private Reserves or another bonded warehouse or delivered directly to you. When you decide to take delivery, Duty and VAT at the prevailing rate become payable.