Chablis 2024 vintage report: The must-buy wines from classic but tiny crop

The difficult 2024 vintage in Chablis was ‘historically problematic,’ according to winemaker Laurent Pinson. The press release of the BIVB, the region’s normally up-beat trade commission, admits: ‘Floods, excess rains, frost, hail…nothing saved the vines’. And yet, there are glimmers of hope. The appeal is the return to the fresh, racy acidity, light body and low alcohol of previous decades. Romain Chevrolat, winemaker at Domaine Laroche, describes the vintage as ‘old school’. Guillaume Michaut at Domaine 47°N 3°E agrees: ‘This is a vintage our grandfathers could have made’. Although overall quality is decidedly mixed, with little consistency between grand and premier cru to village level, lovers of vibrant, acid- and mineral-driven wines will find wines to age, since the best 2024 Chablis will improve for years to come with cellaring. Charles's favourite wines from Chablis 2024 listed below [subscriber-content] Chablis 2024 vintage rating: 3.5/5 A catastrophically small harvest with problems at every turn, 2024 nonetheless produced some vibrant, ageworthy examples in the hands of the best producers. Cool, rainy conditions produced wines that are light in alcohol and body. Yet, the best wines, sustained by dynamic acidity and classic Chablis minerality, will delight fans of the Chablis of former times. Wine of the vintage: Domaine Vincent Dauvissat, Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses Top Petit Chablis: Domaine 47°N 3°E, Petit Chablis Top Chablis: Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin, Chablis Top Chablis 1er Cru: Domaine William Fèvre, Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent Top Chablis Grand Cru: Domaine François Raveneau, Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Disaster strikes early The catastrophically poor weather of 2024 began the winter before the growing season. According to the cooperative La Chablisienne, the five months before budbreak from 15 October 2023 saw 50% more rain than usual (531mm versus the average 335mm). Warm temperatures in March led to early budbreak, exposing the vines to damage from the frost that arrived between 18-25 April. The vines sustained more significant damage, however, in the massive hailstorm that ravaged the region on 1 May, destroying or severely damaging more than one-third of Chablis’ vineyards. Heavy rain continued through May and June, accompanied by an abrupt drop in temperature that interrupted flowering. This interruption drew the process out to more than three weeks, causing coulure and devastating the yield. The difficult flowering was capped by a second significant hailstorm on 29 June. The mildew continued its invasion throughout July as the rain continued, and the month finished with another hailstorm on 31 July. The weather was warm and dry in the first half of August, but rain reappeared in the second half of the month and periodically during the harvest. A harvest you never want to see Although some growers picked earlier to capitalise on the beneficent warmth of August, most waited until the middle of the third week of September. Ripening was so uneven that the larger producers took two to three weeks to finish the task. In the end, alcohol levels were low and acidity levels were moderate to high. Yields varied by producer, but most reported losses of between 60% and 90% of a normal crop. It is likely the case that, where more generous yields were reported, winemakers benefited from legally blending up to 15% of wine from the abundant 2023 vintage, as allowed under the VCI system ( Volume Complémentaire Individuel ). Ten best-value wines of 2024 Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin, Chablis Domaine Bessin-Tremblay, Chablis Vieilles Vignes Domaine Besson, Chablis Domaine Christian Moreau, Chablis Domaine de l’Enclos, Chablis Domaine William Fèvre, Chablis Domaine Famille Gueguen, Petit Chablis La Chablisienne, Chablis 1er cru La Grande Cuvée Domaine 47°N 3°E, Petit Chablis Domaine Laurent Tribut, Chablis A diversity of problems [caption id="attachment_571506" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Montée de Tonnerre, Chablis. Credit: Alamy / Per Karlsson - BKWine.com[/caption] Although the effects of the weather were severe for everyone, various sectors were afflicted by different problems. The hail devastated primarily the northern part of Chablis, particularly the premier cru Fourchaume on the right bank of the Serein and the area surrounding the village of La Chapelle-Vaupelteigne. In contrast, the grand cru slopes immediately south of La Chapelle were less affected by hail but suffered more from mildew. The same is true for the villages across the Serein on the left bank: less hail damage in the premier cru climats of Vaillons and Montmains, but more losses from mildew. Isabelle Raveneau, of Domaine François Raveneau, describes the varied nature of the destruction: ‘We began to pick on 23 September and finished in a bit over five days. In some parcels, we were able to harvest less than 10hl/ha, and in Montmains, we did not harvest at all. ‘In Vaillons, the harvest was very small, but in Montée de Tonnerre, we managed 50% of a normal crop, and approximately one-third in Petit Chablis. The few grapes that were left were in a correct state of health, because the warm weather dried them before the harvest. She concludes: ‘The impact on us was more due to the frost and hail than to the mildew. The sectors that were least affected included Les Forets and Montée de Tonnerre.’ Even within the contiguous seven climats on the grand cru slope, there was significant variation. Vincent Dauvissat did not harvest any grapes in his Les Clos vineyard, but his vines in Les Preuses, less affected by mildew, yielded one of the delights of the vintage. Didier Séguier from Domaine William Fèvre, which also has vines in Les Clos, says: ‘Normally we employ 160 pickers for 9-10 days of picking. In 2024, we hired 210 pickers for 3.5 days. We were only able to harvest 4hl/ha in Les Clos.’ However, he adapted his methods to the vintage and ultimately he notes: ‘In terms of quality, I am more or less in the camp of the optimists for this vintage.’ Producers to know Domaine Eleni et Edouard Vocoret Château de Béru Domaine de l’Enclos Domaine Laurent Tribut Domaine 47°N 3°E Domaine Alain et Cyril Gautheron Domaine Bessin-Tremblay Domaine Les Pétioles Domaine Goisot (Saint Bris) Domaine Colinot (Irancy) Five tips before you buy 2024 Chablis Chablis 2024 is a vintage that is worth buying for fans of the traditional style of taut, mineral-inflected Chablis. Interested collectors should act quickly since quantities will be limited, but the top wines will age for years to come. If money is no object, seek out Les Clos from Raveneau or Les Preuses from Dauvissat, both among the best wines of the vintage. The 2024s will have more structure and punch than the wines from 2023. They are less substantial than those from 2022 but there is more minerality, and the wines will be more complete and well-rounded than those from 2021. With a bit of luck, this is an opportunity to restock the delicious twin of the 2014 vintage which is just coming into maturity now. Click here to see all notes on Chablis 2024 [breakout] Chablis: Know your vintages 2023: A large harvest with a hot, sunny conclusion. The growing season was up and down, with abundant rain and cool temperatures, but the success of the year was decided by the hot, dry conditions that in the end delivered healthy grapes with moderate alcohol but slightly lower acidity. 4/5 2022: In retrospect, the warm, sunny conditions of 2022 edge out those of 2023. This is odd because August was too hot, causing the vines to shut down and preserve more acidity than 2023. This slightly superior freshness means the wines of 2022 will have a seductive balance and might well age better. 4.5/5 2021: The low yields and the difficult growing conditions were a constant challenge for growers. In the end, however, the lower yields and resulting concentration meant the top wines were thrillingly crisp, concentrated and powerful and will undoubtedly enjoy a long life in the cellar. 4/5 2020: A warm, easy year, the antithesis of the year that followed: the vines had everything – heat, sunshine, enough rain. The result is an approachable vintage with easy, moreish fruit aromas that will drink well young but may drop off sooner than the wines from 2019. 4/5 2019: Several heatwaves during this sunny year meant many initially felt that the wines lacked freshness. But time has shown that the wines’ intensity means they should hold well and have the structure to support their weight. 4.5/5 2018: A large harvest in a hot year produced wines with lots of body and warmth, but sometimes without the structure for long ageing. A very rewarding vintage to drink now, but few wines will survive decades in the cellar. 3/5 [/breakout] [/subscriber-content] Charles's top picks from Chablis 2024 [wine-collection] Related articles Dauvissat: The wizard of Chablis Grand Auxerrois: The go-to region for value Burgundy? Uncovering Burgundy's underrated premier cru vineyards

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Chablis 2024 vintage report: The must-buy wines from classic but tiny crop

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