Note: from Fourchaume proper and Vaupoulent. Generous wood fights somewhat with the ripe aromas of citrus confit, white orchard fruit and just enough Chablis typicity to remind one where this is from. I very much like the texture of the plump, round and punchy medium-bodied flavors that possess plenty of sappy dry extract that also serves to buffer the moderately firm acid spine shaping the lingering finale.

50% oak. Vaupulans with more clay so on the richer side. Pale yellow. A plumper yellow fruit nose. Fruit through the middle, oak at the end, which past history suggests will integrate. Drink from 2027-2031. Tasted Jun 2025.

The 2024 Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume is derived from vines rooted in deep, clay-rich soils and raised in 40% oak, with the remainder matured in stainless steel tanks. Offering aromas of pear, dried flowers and almond paste, it is medium- to full-bodied, satiny and underpinned by tangy acids, concluding with a long, vanillin-inflected finish. This long-established domaine, encompassing 28 hectares, is directed by Benoît Droin. Farming remains conventional; however, since 2010, the soils have been worked mechanically, and synthetic treatments are kept to a minimum. Harvest is early and partially mechanized, followed by fermentation and élevage conducted predominantly in stainless steel, though oak barrels are also employed in proportions that vary by cuvée, ranging from 25% to 50% for the premiers and grands crus. The combination of Diam closures and élevage in recently used oak (up to five years old)—with new barrels employed only occasionally and never exceeding 10%—means these wines benefit from several years of bottle age to fully articulate their potential. Bottling, like the harvest, is carried out relatively early to preserve freshness and is preceded by light filtration and, in some cases, fining. These are concentrated yet incisive examples of Chablis—among the most consistent in the region, and capable of aging with grace while offering broad and rewarding drinking windows.(WK)