La Chablisienne Vaillons, Chablis Premier Cru, France

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Aromas of white flowers, smoky peach, green apple and lime zest preface the 2017 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons, a medium to full-bodied, satiny and expansive wine that's elegantly lively and charmingly open-knit. This will be one of the more immediate premiers crus from La Chablisienne.

The 2016 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons unfurls in the glass with a pretty bouquet of oystershell, dried flowers and light reduction. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, glossy and textural. It isn't especially deep or profound, but it's a strong effort in a challenging vintage.

The 2014 Chablis 1Er Cru Vaillons has a powerful bouquet with touches of lemon curd and ginger infusing the citrus aromas. The palate is balanced, if rather simple for a Vaillons; it lacks definition and mineralité on the rather anonymous finish. This does not quite stack up against La Chablisienne's other Premier Crus in the 2014 vintage.

The 2013 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons has an excellent, reserved, mineral-driven bouquet that beckons you to "come inside" and seek out its charms. The palate is fresh and vibrant with well-judged acidity, plenty of salinity with a jagged bitter-lemon edge lending tension right to the finish. I just like the "Chablis-ness" (made up word!) and it should age well over the next 10 to 12 years. This is a commendable wine for the vintage.

The 2012 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons comes from 4.61 hectares of 25-year-old vine and spends 12 months in stainless steel and foudres. It offers a more feminine nose than the Beauroy, with hints of white peach and pear-drop on the pretty nose. The palate has a touch of honey on the entry with a hint of spice, although the finish is missing some of the flamboyance expressed by fellow Vaillons in this vintage. Drink now-2017. La Chablisienne is one of Chablis’ most high-profile cooperatives and a great success story. Founded back in 1923 and still going strong, it is said that they oversee approximately one-quarter of the region’s production, around 300 individual growers. Therefore, just like Georges Duboeuf in Beaujolais or Louis Jadot in the Cote d’Or, it is important that they maintain standards irrespective of high volumes, since their size ensures that they have an ambassadorial role for Chablis, for ordinary punters perhaps seeking to broaden their horizons. In this respect, the wines should not be looked down upon given the showing here. While none of them reached the heady heights of Chablis’ most revered artisans, there was certainly a consistency across the range that when coupled with the volume produced, deserves to be applauded. Importers: Ruby Wines (MA), Opici Wines (NY), Grape Expectations (CA), Brescome Barton (CT)