The 2017 vintage and, judging by my initial tastings, also the 2019s, are likely to offer longer-lived Chablis upon which Nature confers greater typicité. – Neal Martin, Vinous.com, September 24th, 2020
We started the harvest on September 11, 2019. After the two dry summers of 2018 and 2019, the vines failed to keep up and the grapes remained small but concentrated. This had the advantage of maintaining a good level of acidity despite the solar nature of the year. It is therefore a rich and classic vintage, with a nice freshness (saline and lemony notes). On the palate, the wines are fresh and complex. There are citrus fruits but also oyster shells and flint. This is a vintage for keeping! – Benoît Droin
We have recently released the 2019 vintage Grand Crus from Domaine Droin as well as the late release 1er Crus.
What can be surmised about this vintage?
While 2019 experienced greater heat spikes than 2018 which was homogeneously warm and fair, it would be an error to view both vintages as simply warm expressions of Chablis. The key to this difference is the yields – enormous in 2018 and reduced by up to 50% in 2019 – and this is reflected in the smaller quantities of wines we have available in this vintage. The small clusters and berries of 2019 are apparent in the concentration and purity of the wines. 2018 was a varietal vintage while 2019 is a terroir vintage.
Of course, everyone says this about the vintage they are about to sell. Yet we will maintain that not only is Benoît among a small elite of growers in Chablis in terms of quality, but he remains a rare bargain in all of Burgundy. You can read about the Domaine in greater detail on our website or if you want a more immersive experience you can visit the estate’s recently renovated website.