2015 Domaine Long-Depaquit Chablis Les Vaucopins 1er Cru 750 ml

“As Much Complexity and Soul as Cultish Vignerons”

There’s Chablis, and then there’s exceptional Chablis. This 2015 Domaine Long-Depaquit “Les Vaucopins” Premier Cru falls squarely in the later camp. The sun-dappled “Les Vaucopins” vineyard is “one that embodies much of what makes Chablis so special,” according to Burghound’s Allen Meadows. Why? The site features southern exposures, a steep 41 percent incline, and a high concentration of the near-mythical Kimmeridgian soils. These factors combine with owner Albert Bichot’s fastidious cultivation of the 31-year-old vines whose “recent releases can offer as much complexity and soul as cultish vignerons up and down the Cote d’Or,” says Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Master of Wine Tim Atkin gave it 93 points while Vinous called it “a firm, seamless, mouthfilling premier cru with noteworthy energy and length.” Selling elsewhere for $49, this is as good as top-shelf Chablis gets at $39.99 per bottle.

This exquisitely chiseled white Burgundy is from an unforgettable vintage that is a critical darling. Albert Bichot is a sixth-generation winery operator who lays claim to some of the most illustrious soil across Burgundy, including the Grand Cru monopole Moutonne and plots in Clos-de-Vougeot and Corton.

In 1967, he acquired Domaine Long-Depaquit, which dates back to the 12th century with vines first tended by monks at the Abbey of Pontigny. Bichot’s investments in the property have propelled an evolution Meadows calls “extraordinary,” including construction of a new winery and enforcing low yields in the vineyards.

Recalling the fleshy opulence of 2009, 2015 was what James Suckling called “an across-the-board success,” with the Chablis vintage in particular winning a 4.5 out of 5 in Decanter. The issue was quantity: With amounts down as much as 50%, there was little need for sorting tables. As 2016 and 2017 also delivered very small crops, driving up the region’s prices, this stellar under-$40 Premier Cru white Burgundy is all the more irresistible.

Jonathan Cristaldi

Editor-in-Chief, Wine Access