2018 Simonnet-Febvre Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru 750 ml

Louis Latour’s Simonnet-Febvre has delivered an exquisite white from the soulful Premier Cru site of Vaillons—which Burgundy expert Rajat Parr calls the “most important” Left Bank Chablis Cru. 

The 2018 edition of this Chablis is not to be missed. Wine Spectator awarded it 92 points, praising it as “balanced and refined,” and Wine Enthusiast conferred the same score, saying “This wine offers lots of energy, with a wonderfully pithy note.“

2018 was the hottest Chablis vintage of the 21st century, but fortunately, an exceptionally wet winter had provided plenty of groundwater to keep the grapes healthy and protected from the sweltering summer temperatures. In addition, a second round of rain in early August helped revive vines that had shut down because of the heat. The weather made the decision about when to pick a bit nerve-wracking for vintners, but when harvest came around it yielded rich, concentrated fruit balanced by just enough acidity to keep the resulting wine brisk and light on its feet.

Simonnet-Febvre’s vineyard is situated on the left bank of the Serein River and enjoys a southwesterly aspect that affords plenty of afternoon sunlight. Grown in a mix of Kimmeridgian marl and limestone, the vines average 35 years of age. Fermentation took place in stainless-steel tanks, then the wine aged for a year on its lees. 

The 2018 Simonnet-Febvre lives up to the standards of a great Vaillons with its richness and weight—a wine to savor on its own, maybe alongside warm French bread, hard and soft cheese, and a hunk of honeycomb.