AOP Chablis 2022: Top-scoring wines

A premium cuvée from a parcel planted between 1966 and 1970, at the bottom of the Vaudésir valley. Precise and pure, crystalline and focused, with pronounced oyster-shell characters coming through. 40% matured in one- to five-year-old oak. A high-class Chablis which could easily pass muster as a premier cru (at the minimum). Great finesse and concentration.

Restrained on the nose, with a brooding, savoury character on the palate. Initially a bit more subdued than the 'straight' Chablis Sainte Claire, this has the potential for future development given the concentration on show; certainly pushing premier cru quality, if not even higher. Julien Brocard explains that the vines here age up to 75 years, reaching down 25m into the soil.

Green apple fruit with a touch of bitter pear skin adding bite. Dauvissat has four parcels with the largest opposite the premier cru of Forêts. A great 'straight' Chablis which has a super-fine texture to go along with the ripeness and lingering acidity.

Julien Brocard's '7 Lieux' are seven distinct vineyards, run biodynamically under his own name. Fermented with indigenous yeast and matured for 12 months in foudres. Lovely wine with a fine balance of fleshiness, power, vivid acidity and lingering minerality to keep everything precise and in check. You can almost feel the health of the vineyard. Delicious.

Attractive sunny, warm notes on the nose, with a touch of white peach. Much more acidity and flintiness evident. A very high-quality Chablis which will benefit from several years ageing. Raveneau has two plots for its AP Chablis, one in a valley by Montmains, the other opposite Forêts; 1.1ha in total.

Dense and rich style with a hint of reduction on the nose. More peach fruit than the citrus seen in Brocard's other Chablis. Love the extra weight here, very classy and fine. Aged in wood (petit foudre of 15 hectolitres). Comes from a massale selection planted after the Second World War.

Distinct shellfish notes. Plenty of volume, a fleshy sunny character on the palate, freshened by lingering salinity to finish. Top example of AP Chablis in 2022. From 40ha of vines, with three distinct plots, including one from a lovely vineyard to the east around Viviers, with vines planted in the 1960s, but all of the vines have plenty of age.

A very classy combination of the extra richness found in 2022, with zesty lime acidity and a distinctive, salty edge to finish. A great Chablis to drink as an accompaniment to food. Long, precise and very pure on the finish. Organic and from a different part of the Brocard operation in Préhy.

A very complete and fine Burgundy which retains Chablis acidity but could easily stand comparison with Bourgogne wines from further south. Great concentration, purity of flavour and lingering acidity. Very fine. Produced by Michel Laroche, this is a complex construction from fermentation with indigenous yeasts, two thirds fermented in steel tank with 20% in amphora and 15% in wood ranging from 228-litre barrels to 600-litre and 1,800-litre. Hand-harvested fruit.

Coming from a 1.8ha plot, at one of the highest plantings of AP Chablis, this has more concentration than brothers David and Arnaud's 'straight' Chablis, with an additional mineral character balancing the concentration of fruit on the palate. Manages to have weight and force, yet remains light and delicate on its feet. A touch of wood adds a different type of complexity on the palate.

From the highly skilled Dampt clan based in Milly. Quintessentially Chablis, with focused acidity, subtle but distinct ripeness of apple and pear fruit, and a lingering minerality on the finish. Just what you would expect from Vincent Dampt.

Chatillons is a distinct parcel of old vines within the Angst domaine. Shares many of the qualities of its 'straight' Chablis but there is a little more density and concentration here. A pronounced saline edge on the finish; a fine accompaniment to food.

Cool and restrained notes, but there is plenty of appeal on the palate with its sun-kissed stone fruit character cut with bright acidity. Lovely purity of flavour here. Mineral notes to finish. Lots to enjoy. The domaine of Céline and Antoine Angst is located in Pontigny.

Restrained, plenty of density and force underneath, though. Lovely purity on the palate. Fruit is quite subtle and there is plenty of acidity to keep the palate fresh and prolong ageing. Give this several years and it will be very fine. 20% aged in oak. A fine effort from the Philippon family.

This has all the drive and focus you could wish for. A fine melange of ripe fruit, bright acidity, mineral notes and cleansing bitterness on the finish. Daniel Dampt continues to make wonderful Chablis in Milly. Perhaps just a little more traditional in style than the bottlings of sons Vincent and Sébastien.

An intriguing example which marries weight and concentration on the palate with bright acidity and a distinct mineral edge. This will appeal to lovers of classic Chablis but also those looking for a bit more generosity of fruit. Long finish, with a saline tang.

Cool, fresh and appealing on the nose, this classy Chablis has real focus and drive on the palate. Stony mineral notes beautifully balance the ripe fruit flavours. Very good definition and style. The Bardet domaine is located in Noyers-sur-Serein.

Very golden in both colour and character. Plenty of spice notes at the moment, along with crisp acidity. Will be very classy. More than a touch of Chassagne about this. Longer maturation than the 'straight' Chablis, the best plots go into this. Maturation partly in tank, partly in barrels (25%). To be bottled in December 2023.

This is a precise, fresh and focused Chablis with very good balance between mineral notes, citric acidity, and ripe pear and apple fruit. A fine example with a long finish and capacity to age. This dynamic Préhy domaine is well worth following. From a special parcel planted in 1975, coincidentally the year when Céline and Frédéric Gueguen were both born.

A crisp, fine and elegant Chablis which manages a classy balance between the classic Chablis character whilst marrying this with the warmth of the sunny 2022 vintage. Mineral and precise on the finish. A fine example. Domaine de Prenant covers 17ha in Lignerolles, with the family business now run by Olivier Chavard.

Precise, focused, classic Chablis in style. Plenty of minerality, citric acidity and a zesty character to the fruit. Leaves you wanting an extra glass. Lovely purity here and a fine example. Pierre & Murielle Delaloye's domaine is based in Préhy.

Loads of concentration on the palate, with ripe peach and apricot fruit balanced by lovely acidity. Not a classic Chablis, but this is undoubtedly a very classy, fine white Burgundy. Long, fresh finish. From ungrafted vines planted in a parcel at the end of the C19.

Lots of weight and concentration on the palate, supported by zesty acidity and a fine mineral note on the finish. This was tasted after 120 other wines during one day and it still stood out. Laurent Ternynck produces this classy Chablis from 10 parcels of vines.

Density and concentration on the palate is supported by very precise acidity. You can feel the reductive style of winemaking here, but it is in balance and promises a bright future. Long and pure in flavour. A very exciting Chablis.

Cool and linear, very good focus, with crisp apple acidity and mineral characters. Fine and elegant. A thoroughbred, needs a few months to open out but has lots of potential.

A fine combination of Chablis cool characters – mineral notes and plenty of freshening acidity – with ripe, succulent and weighty fruit. Very nicely done. Lea Schaller runs this small family domaine in Préhy; 2019 was the first vintage.

An appealing, creamy style of Chablis which has lots of acidity to cut through the lactic character. Lots to like here. Intriguing spice notes on the finish. Will age well. Pierre-Louis and Jean-François Bersan can trace family roots in St-Bris back to 1453.

Crisp and plenty of concentration here; a classic Chablis style with purity and length on the palate. Finishes with a distinct mineral note. This special cuvée is from old vines located on steep, south-facing slopes next to premier cru Fourchaume. Domaine Roy is a leading producer based in Fontenay.

More of a focus on acidity and mineral notes, with some lovely fruit nestling in the background. Not as concentrated as brother Vincent's, but still a very classy effort which will age. Delicate and refined, from the youngest brother in the Dampt clan.

Real weight here, with the warmth of the 2022 vintage evident. There is good acidity to keep the concentrated fruit in balance, then a touch of spice on the finish, Very distinctive Chablis. Domaine Servin, run by François, has a history dating back to 1654. With 32ha across all four quality tiers, Servin's vines are over 50 years old and have been propagated from cuttings from the best vines in the lieu-dit of Les Pargues.

Usually a benchmark for the appellation, Droin's Chablis has a lot more density and concentration than the Petit Chablis. More structure and minerality here. Will be very good and a classic example.

Very good density on the palate allied to ripe melon and stone fruit flavours, all cut with very precise citrus acidity. Finishes with a long, stony aftertaste. Will keep well. Delphine and Grégory Viennois are based in La Chapelle-Vaupelteigne.

A very good, modern style, with great concentration on the palate and attractive stone fruit notes kept in check by the lively acidity and a mineral note to finish. Will appeal to many different types of consumers.

Pretty forceful, direct acidity here. Classic Chablis style. Will age. Comes from two plots situated on the left bank of the Serein, with one positioned below Montée de Tonnerre. They are fermented and kept separate before blending. Mostly hand-harvested.