2022 Louis Michel Vaillons 1er Cru (750ml)

Chardonnay from Chablis, Burgundy, France

B-21 Top Recommendation
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From “a year to snap up” according to Decanter’s Andy Howard, these highly rated 2022 Chablis selections from Louis Michel are among Burgundy’s most outstanding values, a full range of “well-crafted Chablis from top to bottom” according to Vinous critic Neal Martin affordably priced for stocking up.

Perhaps “the most underrated of Chablis’s larger domaines” according to the Wine Advocate’s William Kelley, the family-owned Domaine Louis Michel & Fils has been crafting Chablis for nearly two centuries, forgoing the use of barrels in favor of stainless-steel tanks to create a pure expression of each vineyard and becoming “the reference point for tank-fermented and matured Chablis” according to critic Kelley. Sourced from 25 hectares of organically farmed vineyards most of which are 1er Cru, sixth generation winemaker Guillaume Michel ferments with native yeasts and ages the wines on the fine lees for extended periods in stainless steel, developing a rich, creamy texture that balances the mineral-driven acidity. Sourced from across six parcels planted in a mix of Kimmeridgian and Portlandian subsoils, the appealing entry level 92 pt. 2022 Louis Michel Chablis is “quite elegant” according to Neal Martin of Vinous, boasting crisp, aromatic fruit with a refreshing, saline-tinged finish, a delicious pour to enjoy over the next few years. Sourced from vines around 70 years of age, the “excellent” 92 pt. 2022 Louis Michel Butteaux 1er Cru balances a “crisp line of acidity” on a saline, mineral finish according to Neal Martin and is “certainly one of the highlights” of the 2022 releases, while the impressive 93 pt. 2022 Louis Michel Forets 1er Cru sourced from a single parcel on limestone soils offers “well balanced” satiny fruit and lower acidity that makes it immediately accessible. Burghound calls the enticing 95 pt. 2022 Louis Michel Montee de Tonnerre 1er Cru “refined” and “delicious” while Neal Martin declares it “one of the finest Premier Crus from Louis Michel,” earning the #3 spot on Decanter’s Top 1er Cru Chablis of the vintage. Called “a Vaillons of finesse” by Burghound, the elegant 91 pt. 2022 Louis Michel Vaillons 1er Cru offers “good depth and crisp acidity” according to Neal Martin, while summing up the harmonious 93 pt. 2022 Louis Michel Vaulorent 1er Cru as “excellent," revealing crisp, fresh fruit with racy acidity on an intense and lingering finish.

Crafted as “pure and unadorned in style and consistently high in quality” according to the Wine Advocate’s William Kelley, these highly rated selections from Louis Michel represent the “purest expression of Chardonnay” according to the Wine Enthusiast’s Roger Voss, appealing equally to fans of classically styled Chablis and lovers of vineyard-expressive White Burgundy seeking outstanding value.

91D

Touch of spice, crunchy fruit, less multi-dimensional than others in the Louis Michel range at the moment, but there is certainly potential for development. Needs 12 months but then likely to be an early drinker after that. Quite tight and closed currently, Michel's Vaillons had only very recently been bottled.

91 points, Andy Howard, Decanter (Oct 2023)

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$49.98

Compare At: $54.99

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