The 2013 Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu has a more fruit-driven bouquet compared to the Montmains, fresh pear and nectarine developing in the glass. It is well defined, although I discerned more precision with respect to the Montmains '13. The palate is crisp and fresh with very good weight in the mouth, fresh pear, green apple and white peach with plenty of roundness toward the finish. This is very fine, although the bottom line is that I prefer the tension on the Montmains. This would be a fine introduction to Beno?t Droin's range of Chablis, but I think he produced better this year.

The 2012 Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu comes from a sunny exposure that Benoit suggested creates Chablis akin to Condrieu. That is borne out in the aromatics, which offer an attractive, oily bouquet with touches of honeysuckle and quince developing. The palate is very well-balanced, quite oily and smoky with touches of Mirin toward the spicy finish. What a fascinating Chablis – one to accompany your Thai dinner perhaps? Drink 2015-2022. It was a pleasure to meet Benoit Drouin at his family’s tasting room close to the center of Chablis town (the winery, located on the outskirts was built in 1999.) This might be considered the Chablis equivalent of J.L. Chave in terms of intergenerational proprietorship. “The estate has been passed from father to son over 14 generations since 1620,” Drouin informed me as we descended the stairs to the tasting room. Indeed, the family have been deeply intertwined with the history of the region, Marcel Drouin having created the Fete des Vins de Chablis in the 1950s. The domaine presently encompasses 26 hectares of vines spread over 16 appellations, which includes a parcel in Vauleront that has just been bought and will debut in 2013. Benoit explained how he has a traditional approach in the vineyard. “We have an intelligent approach in the vineyard – nothing extreme,” explained Benoit, “and 80% of our time is spent working the soil. We commenced the harvest in 2012 on 19 September and the yields came in at around 40 hectoliters per hectare.” He is not convinced by biodynamic techniques. Rather, he is focused on enhancing the life in the soil and has seen a great difference since they began ploughing the soils in 1999. One other change is the pruning. Since 2002, they have lateral vines trained either side of the trunk that he says decreases vigor and enhances aeration, thereby reducing disease. Benoit’s policy is to pick early in order to capture the acidity and he chaptalizes a little to increase alcohol. He prefers this to picking later and then potentially having to acidify. The wines are matured in stainless steel with a maximum of around 15% barrel aging, using a mixture of around 5-year-old barrels. He is positive about the 2012 vintage that he found regular across the vineyards, unlike the 2013s. Importers: European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1665; and Fields, Morris & Verdin and Domaine Direct both in the UK.

The 2011 Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu has a lovely peach scented nose that you might mistake for a Condrieu. That comes across on the palate, which is well balanced, quite powerful but not blowsy, with ginger and peach skin on the finish. I like the gust of this Mont de Milieu, perhaps richer and more advanced than I was expecting, yet still undeniably delicious.

The 2010 Chablis Mont de Milieu fills out in all directions. It is a spherical wine endowed with considerable textural richness and sheer volume. There is a tension and pure vibrancy to the fruit that is unbelievably appealing. Crushed rocks and layers of intense, saline minerality frame the exquisite finish. Apples, pears, white flowers and mint are some of the many notes that linger on the palate. Mont de Milieu is a sunny, south-facing site, but here those elements are beautifully balanced by the wine’s pure salinity. Anticipated maturity: 2014+. Once again, my tasting with Benoit Droin was one of the highlights of my trip to Chablis.Vintage 2011 was characterized by an early, easy and even flowering, which resulted in a generous crop. August rains bloated the grapes, which turned out to be a bit of an issue, as the harvest was several weeks earlier than normal. Droin began bringing in his 2011s on August 31st, three full weeks earlier than 2010. Droin describes 2011 as having lower acidity than 2010 and being better than 2005, 2006 and 2009 in a style that sits in between 2003 and 2007, if that makes sense. Droin’s 2011 are quite strong across the board, even if they lack the visceral thrill of the very best years. Personally, I prefer the 2010s, which I loved the minute I first tasted them from tank last year. The wines have a combination of fruit and acidity that is striking. Droin doesn’t seem to get a lot of attention in the press, but in my opinion, this is one of the very finest producers in Chablis. I have also had great luck with older bottles, as these are typically wines that age beautifully. Importer: Eric Solomon Selections, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565