Like last year’s rendition, vinified and matured in a large foudre, 2008 Chablis Vaulorent had only just been bottled when I tasted it in April (without seeming to suffer any ill effects) and interestingly enough was among those premier crus for which the estate elected to utilize a screw-cap. Scents and flavors of pineapple, apricot, white currant, and grapefruit mingle with iodine, salt, and toasted nuts. This is quite glossily-textured and glycerin-rich yet infectiously juicy, insistently bright, invigorating, vibratory and refreshing. Look for 8-10 years of enjoyment from this beauty and I hope there are some cork-stoppered “control” bottles so that the differences in its evolution under different closures can be observed. Enologist Nadine Gublin (also of Domaine Jacques Prieur) headed-up the Brocards’ 2008 efforts from start to finish, including a harvest that extended well into October, while Julien Brocard continues to up the percentage of acreage farmed biodynamically at this enormous property. (Tiny lady bugs and moons are scattered discreetly across the labels of those Brocard wines that issue from “bio” vineyards.) Due to time limitations, I did not taste the entire 2008 collection here, but every wine I tasted could be recommended and is included in this report.Imported by: Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400