2024 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin - Chablis (750ml)

The Droin family has grown vines in Chablis since at least 1620, and Benoît Droin now represents the fourteenth generation to work the domaine. His father, Jean-Paul, began working the estate in 1965 and spent decades building its reputation, including construction of a modern winery in the late 1990s, before retiring in 2014 and handing the reins to Benoît. Since taking over, Benoît has refined the vineyard work with reduced yields and revised pruning, and moved the cellar toward native yeast fermentation and a lighter hand overall.

This village-level Chablis is grown on the Kimmeridgian limestone and clay soils that define the appellation, a seabed of ancient oyster fossils that gives the region's Chardonnay its distinctive character. In keeping with Benoît's preference for letting each site speak clearly, the wine is fermented with native yeasts and aged entirely in stainless steel tank rather than oak, preserving freshness and allowing the chalky terroir to come through unobscured.

The wine shows a pale straw color with aromas of green apple, lemon zest, and crushed chalk, backed by a faint briny note reminiscent of sea spray. The palate is taut and linear, with bright acidity carrying through to a clean, mineral finish.