The 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes unwinds in the glass with aromas of green orchard fruit, pastry cream, fresh bread and light reduction. Medium to full-bodied, ample and saline, it's bright and chiseled, with a classically Chablisien tang.

The 2018 Chablis 1er Cru Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes unwinds in the glass with notes of citrus oil, white flowers, green almonds and clear honey. Medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, it's lively and quite tightly wound at the core, concluding with a saline finish.

Another of the high points of the range is the 2017 Chablis 1er Cru Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes, which derives entirely from the Roncières lieu-dit this year, as the domaine's other holdings were frosted. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of sweet yellow orchard fruit, buttered pears, mandarin and white flowers, it's medium to full-bodied, with a textural, enveloping profile, good concentration and lively acids.

Offering up notes of lemon and lime zest, white peach and flowers, the 2016 Chablis 1er Cru Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes is medium to full-bodied, delicately glossy and stony, with an ample attack that gives way to a pure, precise and attractively mineral finish. While this can be a precocious premier cru, it's an attractively balanced Vaillons that's holding something in reserve.

Taut, and closed, this is very structured. The green fruits, mineral structure and flinty character offer a severe, complex wine. Layered with a caramel note, this is set to age over many years. Screwcap. — (11/1/2012) —92