Henriot’s domaine in Chablis includes three acres of vines on the steep, south-facing slopes of Vaudésir. The soils are predominantly chalky clay, mixed with Kimmeridgian limestone. The wine has the beautiful fresh scent of chamomile, a bright, pure expression of chardonnay that carries its chalky floral richness all the way through to a generous end. It’s powerful yet discreet, building layers of flavor intensity and seeming to only get fresher over the course of several days.

This is noticeably riper than the Vaulorent with hints of exotic yellow fruit along with hints of spice and mineral reduction. Here too there is impressive size and weight to the solidly well-concentrated big-bodied flavors that possess an opulent mid-palate before ending in a mineral-driven and intensely saline-infused finish that just goes on and on. A terrific 2011.

A surprisingly sweetly-suggestive, high-toned nose of pineapple, orange rind and nutmeg wafted by ocean breeze greets one from the glass of Fevre 2011 Chablis Vaudesir. It offers a lusciously juicy, sweetly-citric palate impression mouthwateringly mingled with clam stock and transparent to nuances of spices, toasted nuts, salt and stone. Soothing and elegant, clear, delicate and refined, this really grows on me as it opens up in the glass. I’m tempted to suggest drinking this by 2018 even if it will “live” longer, and, frankly, it is so expressive now that one should not under any circumstances forego its immediate company. - David Schildknecht