Unwinds in the glass with notes of citrus oil, white flowers, green almonds and clear honey. Medium to full-bodied, ample and sanity, it’s lively and quite tightly wound at the core, concluding with a saline finish.

A vague whiff of the exotic floats above the equally Chablis-like nose of floral, iodine, seashore and that lovely hint of tidal pool. Delicious, round and relatively forward medium-bodied flavors possess evident minerality on the dry, firm and refreshing citrus-tinged finish.This is not especially persistent, at least not at present, as the back end is a bit attenuated, yet I suspect that this will round out nicely with a few years of bottle age.

The 2018 Chablis Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru offers green apples, lime, sea spray and light grilled almond notes on a nose that takes a few swirls of the glass to get going. The palate is well balanced, with a faint tang of dried quince and bitter lemon on the entry. I admire the salinity and savory finish of this Vaillons, though I suspect it will show best in its youth. Maybe I’ll be proved wrong!

The 2018 Chablis Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru is laced with lemon confit, citrus peel, almond, dried flowers and chamomile. Aromatic and light on its feet, the 2018 offers lovely near and medium-term appeal. This is such an attractive 1er Cru.