2024 Joseph Drouhin Chablis "Vaudon", Burgundy, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

Made from 100% Chardonnay, the 2024 Joseph Drouhin Chablis “Vaudon” comes from Chablis, Burgundy’s northernmost winegrowing region, where Kimmeridgian limestone is packed with tiny marine fossils from an ancient seabed. This distinctive geology is central to the freshness, saline character, and mineral profile associated with classic Chablis. Drouhin sources this cuvée from both family-owned parcels and long-standing grower partners. The grapes are slowly pressed as whole bunches in a pneumatic press, with the final press juice kept separate from the free-run juice. After settling, fermentation takes place in stainless-steel tanks, followed by 7 to 10 months of aging in stainless steel to preserve purity and site expression. The challenging 2024 growing season produced a small crop, but September sunshine helped the Chardonnay retain balance and freshness. The wine shows bright citrus, lemon and grapefruit, subtle herbal notes, and a dry, mineral-driven finish.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Maison Joseph Drouhin has been family-owned since 1880, when 22-year-old Joseph Drouhin established the house in Beaune. Four generations later, the domaine is led by Joseph’s great-grandchildren Philippe, Véronique, Laurent, and Frédéric Drouhin, with the fifth generation beginning to join the family business. Chablis has a particularly important place in the Drouhin story. In the late 1960s, Robert Drouhin invested in the region at a time when many vineyards were still struggling after decades of decline, acquiring nearly 40 hectares in the historic heart of Chablis along with the 18th-century Moulin de Vaudon. Those holdings became known as Drouhin Vaudon and helped establish the family as one of the important Burgundy houses committed to Chablis. Today the wider Drouhin domaine covers about 100 hectares across Burgundy. Estate vineyards have been farmed with organic practices since the late 1980s and biodynamic methods since the 1990s, reflecting the family’s long-standing focus on soil health, biodiversity, and transparent expression of terroir.