Chablis 2021: top-value wines

Chablis 2021: full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Score tables

Chablis 2021 score table – notes for all wines scoring 92 points and above

Grand Cru Chablis 2021 score table

Premier Cru Chablis 2021 score table

ALSO

Individual appellation analysis and their top-scoring wines:

Grand Cru Chablis | Premier Cru Chablis | AOP Chablis | Petit Chablis 

Chablis 2021 was a vintage where challenging weather conditions has had a drastic effect on volumes. At the same time, global demand for the wines of Burgundy has continued to grow, resulting in significant upward price pressures. Despite much higher volumes in 2022, it is unlikely to see prices for Chablis falling.

However, Chablis still offers great value for money across all of the different quality tiers.

Petit Chablis provides a fine introduction to the crisp, dry style of the region, although prices are significantly higher than 2018, 2019 and 2020. AP Chablis represents a big step up in concentration, with the impact of Kimmeridgean soils showing through in the majority of wines with additional notes of gunflint, salinity and mineral characters to finish.

These are wines which (in general) will drink well from now but should have the structure and acidity to provide plenty of enjoyment over several years.

Premier Cru Chablis (as with Grand Cru) continues to offer remarkable value in comparison to equivalent wines from the Côte d’Or. With a minimal (or no) use of oak, Premier Cru Chablis really do emphasise individual terroirs and, with less overt fruit ripeness and weight as a result of the cool 2021 vintage, this is a vintage to explore the differences between the left- and right-bank vineyards.

The finest wines are to be found in Montée de Tonnerre and Vaulorent but for value look at the less ‘fashionable’ Premier Crus of Côte de Léchet, Vau de Vey, Vaucoupins and Vosgros – the latter sometimes described as a left-bank Premier Cru with right-bank exposure.

At the top of the Chablis quality tree comes Grand Cru, with Les Clos the largest in area and commanding the highest prices. Although increasing substantially in the last couple of years, Grand Cru from Bougros, Valmur and Blanchot will be much more keenly priced.

Sadly, wines from certain domaines (Francois Raveneau, Vincent Dauvissat) are only available on allocation, whilst those from William Fevre are certainly not cheap.

Fortunately, there are many fine wines from estates such as Billaud-Simon, Louis Michel, Louis Moreau, Roy and Long-Depaquit which will offer great value.

10 of the best

Domaine Gerard Tremblay, Petit Chablis

Domaine Billaud-Simon, Petit Chablis

Domaine Roland Lavantureaux, Chablis Vauprin

Domaine Celine et Frederic Gueguen, Chablis

Maison Stephane Brocard, Chablis Vielles Vignes

Domaine Dupre, Chablis

Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Vielles Vignes

Domaine Vincent Dampt, 1er Cru Les Vaillons

Domaine Les Malandes, 1er Cru Les Montmains 

Domaine Roy, 1er Cru Fourchaume

Top-value Chablis 2021 wines:

If we have awarded ‘Top value’ to an as-yet unpriced wine, it is based on our predicted pricing.

Chablis 2021 homepage