2011 Chablis Vaillons

Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. This 2011 Chablis Vaillons does not quite have the same complexity as Duplessis’s Vaillons on the nose, although it is still well defined with touches of lemon thyme and mineral. Returning after five minutes, it gains much more cohesion and vigor. The palate is fresh and pointed, quite spicy and attacking, but perhaps missing refinement at first. Later, it gains composure and elegance, with extremely well-judged acidity and a long, sustained finish.