Jean-Paul Droin Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2023

This Chablis Premier Cru comes from Jean-Paul Benoit Droin, a long-established family in the Chablis valley of northern Burgundy. Montée de Tonnerre is one of the most respected premier cru vineyards, sitting on a slope next to the grand crus. Its character comes from the Kimmeridgian soil, a marly and stony limestone formed when the area lay under the ancient Tethys Sea and still full of fossil oyster shells. That calcareous base, with the cool northern climate and the vineyard's aspect, gives the Chardonnay firm acidity and a deep, chalky minerality. The wine is aged for ten months in French oak, using older barrels rather than new wood so the oak lends texture and a slow, gentle oxygen exchange rather than obvious vanilla or toast. Time on the lees adds further weight while the fruit and the stony drive stay in the lead. The colour is bright gold with green glints. The nose shows lemon, green apple and pear with a subtle hazelnut and floral note. The palate is dry, tense and layered, with citrus fruit and a long, saline, chalky finish. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees.