Domaine JP & Benoit Droin is one of Chablis’s success stories. Jasper Morris calls Droin “one of the most consistent producers of fine Chablis”. Neal Martin also describes himself as “a huge fan of these wines”, noting that “Benoît Droin has really taken his domaine to new heights over the last decade.” The 2022s from Droin have just arrived with us and they are looking very good indeed.
Droin is one of the growers who have responded most successfully to Chablis’ recent string of warmer vintages. Retaining the steeliness and tension so characteristic of Chablis is paramount at Droin, and to this end Benoit picks early and favours a shorter elevage. He also uses minimal new oak to avoid adding excess weight. The result is a range that is classical in style, successfully highlighting the terroir differences between sites.
2022 was a relatively straightforward vintage in Chablis after the frost-ravaged 2021. Here, as elsewhere, in France, conditions were hot – but the absence of heat spikes meant ripening was uninterrupted. At Droin, yields were low with concentrated, high acidity juice and notable flavour intensity.
This is a very good set of wines from one of Chablis’ most commendable producers. They are available in small quantities so please do respond quickly if you are interested.
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