Jean-Paul et Benôit Droin Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu 2022

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Check out all the Chablis!

Back in the early naughties, we were hoovering Chablis from the early 1970’s. When the Tsunami hit, wheelbarrows of Grand & 1er Cru’s were arriving from the auction houses at around $14 a bottle. By the time it receded, after everyone else had caught on, they were up at around $40 a bottle and still a bargain. Purity, complexity, amazing texture, lovely lines of acid were the hallmarks of these incredible wines. Testut et Fréres Grenouille featured! Such a great vineyard.

About Jean-Paul et Benoît Droin

People often cite Domaines Raveneau and Vincent Dauvissat as the two greatest exponents of Chablis, however, I would like to add a third – Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin. Over the last five or six years, Benoît Droin has really ratcheted up the quality. I cannot exaggerate how often Droin’s wines end up the best of the flight during the annual “Burgfest” blind tastings. Again and again, they shine against stiff competition. It is time to accept that Droin is now one of the leading producers in Chablis. Neal Martin

The Droin family has been collecting small holdings in all the top premier and grand cru Chablis vineyards since 1620.  Over the last 400 years they have played an important role in shaping Chablis’ wine production and local politics throughout their existence. Jean-Paul was one of the first to introduce oak aging to the region in the 1980s, a transformative innovation. In 1999 Benoît, Jean-Paul’s son, took over as winemaker and the domaine has since flourished. His meticulous vineyard management with severely restricted yields and careful élevage of the individual cuvees afford the attention to detail required for greatness.  Benoît’s artistry in the winery and careful stewardship of their outstanding collection of small vineyards has long ago elevated the family domaine to the very top of the Chablis tree. The Droin style is one of purity and transparency, coupled with powerful concentration and deep minerality.

The 2022 Vintage at Droin

From Burghound:

Benoît Droin told me that 2022 “was pretty simple to manage other than a brief early season frost scare that cost us some yield in Vaillons. The season was hot and dry but the water reserves accumulated in 2021 helped the vines avoid significant water stress. I chose to begin the harvest on the 31st of August and brought in the best yields that we’ve seen since 2018. The fruit was spotless with good potential alcohols of between 12 and 13% with reasonable acidities. The fermentations were easy and in particular, the malos finished rapidly. As to the wines, I would describe them as having the freshness and fruit of the 2017s combined with the acidities of the 2020s. They’re not exactly classically styled but they’re harmonious, well-balanced and I think they’re going to be accessible young yet surprise people with how well they age.” To my mind Droin has accurately described the style of his 2022s as they should indeed drink on the early side but have no difficulty aging over the mid to perhaps even the longer-term. Droin bottles all of his wines under Diam corks with a mix of Diam 5 and Diam 10 depending on the level of the wine. 

Chablis Geology & Geography Explored

Where in the World are Jean-Paul et Benoît Droin?

Jean-Paul et Benoît Droin have holdings across an array of Village, 1er Cru and Grand Cru vineyards in Chablis.

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