Skip to content
Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
2023 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons, Domaine William Fèvre

2023 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons, Domaine William Fèvre

Chablis, Burgundy, France

Floral, generous and beautifully mineral, Vaillons shows a softer, more aromatic side of Premier Cru Chablis. Pear, green apple and lime sit alongside white blossom, honeysuckle and crushed shell, with a fine chalky note running beneath the fruit. The sunny left-bank site gives a little extra ripeness, but the wine remains fresh, precise and unmistakably Chablis.

On the palate, it is rounded yet energetic, with orchard fruit, citrus and saline minerality carried by bright acidity. A measured proportion of French oak adds texture rather than obvious flavour, while the long élevage gives the wine polish and depth. This is a strong buy for customers who want Premier Cru Chablis with fragrance, mineral freshness and enough generosity to shine with food.

For when: A seafood dinner needs Chablis with floral lift, mineral freshness and polished depth.

Pairs with: Oysters, crab, scallops, grilled sea bass, roast sole, prawns, chicken in cream sauce, Comté or goat’s cheese.

Vaillons is one of the best-known Premier Cru sites on the left bank of the Serein, prized for wines that combine floral perfume, ripe fruit and mineral freshness. Domaine William Fèvre works several parcels across Vaillons and neighbouring lieux-dits, bringing together different expressions of the slope into a wine that feels complete, polished and classically Chablis.

Whats in the bottle
Chardonnay 100%

Notable Awards
94 Points, Wine Enthusiast

£62.00 - £62.00
£62.00
£62.00 - £62.00
£62.00
Availability:
In stock

Domaine William Fèvre is one of the benchmark estates of Chablis, with family winegrowing roots stretching back more than two centuries. William Fèvre took charge of the domaine in 1959 and steadily built one of the appellation’s most important collections of Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards.

The modern house style is built around clarity of site rather than overt winemaking. Didier Séguier has played a central role in developing this approach, using gentle gravity handling, restrained oak and long élevage to preserve the mineral identity of each climat.

The domaine has also placed increasing emphasis on environmental work, moving progressively towards organic farming across its vineyards. Since 2024, William Fèvre has been part of Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, bringing additional long-term backing while maintaining the estate’s Chablis-focused philosophy.

For customers, Vaillons offers an especially appealing balance. It has more perfume and generosity than some of the domaine’s sterner Premier Crus, but still delivers the freshness, salinity and mineral precision that make William Fèvre such a trusted name.

The 2023 Vaillons is made from 100% Chardonnay. Domaine William Fèvre farms around 3.65 hectares across approximately 12 parcels, mainly within Vaillons itself, with additional vines in Châtains, Mélinots and Roncières. The vineyards lie on the left bank of the Serein with predominantly south-easterly exposure, giving the grapes excellent sunlight while preserving freshness.

The soils are limestone-dominant, with hard, fractured limestone beneath the surface giving the wine its mineral and saline character. The 2023 growing season was warm and generous, with healthy fruit harvested in early September.

The grapes are handled gently using gravity, followed by pneumatic pressing and light settling. Fermentation takes place naturally in stainless steel. The wine then ages for around 18 months, with 25% spending five to six months on fine lees in French oak barrels before maturation is completed in stainless steel. Alcohol is 13%.

The result is a Premier Cru with pear, apple, lime and white flowers wrapped around a chalky, saline core. The small oak component brings texture rather than flavour, while the long élevage gives the wine smoothness and length. It is already appealing with seafood and poultry, but the acidity and mineral structure give it enough backbone to develop further.