772 | Wine | Chablis, $20 to $50

"Subdued, very pure aromas of lemon peel, quinine and white flowers. Wonderfully silky on entry, then dense and rich in the middle, with terrific mineral and limey cut and strong but harmonious acidity. This conveys a powerful impression of dry extract and finishes saline, very long and aromatic. Beautifully balanced premier cru Chablis, but still a baby today."

"The 2010 Chablis Cuvee Massale is another striking wine graced with exquisite finesse and crystalline transparency. The old-vines Cuvee Massale is from a 4 hectare parcel planted with vines that are nearly 50 years old. It is very promising in this vintage."

"The 2010 Chablis is a beautiful, pure wine graced with considerable energy and verve in its bright fruit and long, wiry finish. With time in the glass, the wine’s pedigree and class begin to emerge. The Chablis is a highly promising wine at this level."

"Crushed rocks, oyster shells, lemon and nectarine all take shape in the glass of the 2010 Chablis Vaillons. A touch of French oak adds richness and volume, but without being too overwhelming or obscuring the wine’s intense, pointed personality."

"The 2011 Chablis Montmains possesses striking aromatics and gorgeous delineation in its fruit. Light floral honey, lychee, apricots and tangerine meld together beautifully in this seamless, layered Chablis. The Montmains looks to be another wine with immense early appeal. Michel has two parcels in Montmains and notes this cool, windy site is often vulnerable to frost."

"The 2010 Chablis Vaillons covers every corner of the palate with green apples, pears, white flowers and sweet spices. This is a big, powerful Vaillons with terrific balance and an unctuous, textured personality."

"The wine from this terroir displays all the typicality of Chablis – this magnificent full-south slope gives the wine all the mineral make-up which typifies this Chablis. This fineness gives it the elegance of fine wines – one should really forget it for sometime so that it can give off all its intensity and the aromas of its terroir. This wine goes very well with shellfish."