Patrick Piuze Chablis Premier Cru Vaulorent “QC” 2020 750ml

Is Piuze’s 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent Les Quatres Chemins even better than its 2019 predecessor? I’m inclined to think so, and to my palate, it’s also his joint-finest wine this year. Offering up aromas of citrus oil, confit lemon and crisp Anjou pear mingled with notions of iodine and freshly baked bread, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, with terrific concentration, racy acids and a long, intensely saline finish.

• Country: France
• Region: Burgundy
• Appellation: Chablis
• Size: 750ml
• Color: White

Varietal

Chardonnay

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.