Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Vaulorent 2021 comes from the only Premier Cru on the Chablis Grand Cru hillside, right beside Les Preuses. Expect pear, citrus blossom and a saline edge. It was rated 95 POINTS by Andy Howard MW for Decanter, and six other critic scores sit at 92 or above.
In the glass it shows a pungent citrus nose with broad, impressive density on the palate.
It is a special weekend wine for anyone who loves Premier Cru Chablis with Grand Cru weight. This wine would pair well with grilled lobster or turbot.
What it tastes like
The wine has mouthwatering salinity, a creamy texture from its time on fine lees and plenty of concentration. Bill Nanson of The Burgundy Report found it zesty, with a hint of generosity.
The finish is long and saline, with a touch of youthful firmness that will soften with more time in bottle.
Style at a glance
- Body: Medium to full
- Sweetness: Dry
- Acidity: Racy
- Oak: Part of the wine is aged in older French oak barrels, which adds a creamy texture
- Style: Concentrated, saline, age-worthy Premier Cru
Food to enjoy this with
- Grilled lobster
- Turbot
- Scallops
- Fish in a cream sauce
- Foie gras, where the wine's acidity and salinity cut through the richness
- Aged goat's cheese
Who makes it
William Fèvre founded the Domaine in 1959 with 7 hectares. Today it farms 70 hectares across 90 plots and is the largest owner of Grand Cru vineyards in Chablis. Didier Séguier has made the wines since 1998, and the Domaine joined the Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) family in January 2024.
Vaulorent is a climat (named vineyard site) within the Fourchaume Premier Cru. It borders the Grand Cru Les Preuses, making it the only Premier Cru on the same hillside as the Grands Crus. Domaine William Fèvre is its largest owner, farming eight plots totalling 3.63 hectares, or 21% of the climat.
The soils resemble those of Les Preuses, with plenty of marl and Kimmeridgian limestone (limestone packed with fossilised oyster shells), which give the wine density and salinity. Séguier calls it the Domaine's "baby grand cru" and selects barrels for it on vine age, concentration and power.
The grapes are moved by gravity rather than pumped and pressed gently, and the wine ferments naturally in stainless steel. Part of it then spends 5 to 6 months on fine lees (spent yeast cells that add texture) in French oak barrels, none of them new. Domaine William Fèvre was one of the first Chablis estates to gain HVE3 environmental certification, in 2014, and most of its vineyards are farmed biodynamically.
About the vintage
Bill Nanson of The Burgundy Report tasted the 2021s with Didier Séguier. Frost hit the higher vineyards hard, and the team ran frost-protection sprinklers for 13 to 14 days until the lake that feeds them nearly ran dry. Séguier said ripeness came "more by concentration than phenolic maturity", and that many of the wines "still need 10 years".
Charles Curtis MW rates 2021 at 4 out of 5 for Decanter. Low yields and a difficult season challenged growers, but the concentration that resulted gave top wines that are thrillingly crisp and powerful, with a long life ahead of them.
Critic scores and ratings
- 95 POINTS – Andy Howard MW – Decanter, October 2022
"Fevre's Vaulorent is just a little more precise on the nose. Seguier says it is always elegant, always fresh. Fevre's take on this renowned premier cru has an understated nose yet you can feel the power within. Lovely ripeness of fruit, but all in a very compact package at the moment. Although this is disarmingly approachable now, this will be a wine to cellar carefully, allowing all the perfectly formed components to blossom."
- 94 POINTS – William Kelley – Wine Advocate, September 2023
- 94 POINTS – Christy Canterbury MW – TimAtkin.com, January 2023
"William Fèvre is the largest owner of this Kimmeridgian-rich vineyard with 3 ha 60. This opens with an attractive chalk and spice nose. It leads to a ripe citrus palate focused by bracing acidity. There is excellent fruit depth and integration. Yet again, Vaulorent behaves like a Grand Premier Cru!"
- 94 POINTS – John Gilman – View from the Cellar
- 93 POINTS – Allen Meadows – Burghound, October 2023
"A much less expressive nose, indeed it is all but mute, requires aggressive swirling to eventually coax aromas of white orchard fruit, especially pear confit, citrus blossom and seawater. The richer and slightly more powerful flavors also possess a sophisticated mouthfeel along with excellent depth and persistence on the balanced finale where a touch of youthful austerity slowly emerges."
- 93 POINTS – Jasper Morris MW – Inside Burgundy, May 2025
"Pale in colour, starting out rather lean, but recognisably Chablis with some grassy aspects. Refreshing in its cleanliness, typicity, purity and length. Stays with me in clean white fruit. The Fèvre Vaulorent has avoided all the pitfalls of the vintage to provide an impressive example of what the most skilful producers could achieve in 2021."
- 92 POINTS – Neal Martin – Vinous, October 2025
"The 2021 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru is clean and precise on the nose: Granny Smiths, Alpine stream and light oyster shell scents unfold in the glass. The palate is well balanced with quite a powerful entry. More peppery in style, it gains weight towards the finish that gradually fans out. This leaves a good impression and beckons you back for another sip. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting."
When to drink it
It is approachable now, as Andy Howard MW noted, and it has a long life ahead. Neal Martin of Vinous, who tasted it in bottle in 2025, suggests drinking it now and through to 2035, and John Gilman sees it lasting to 2060.
Technical details
| Producer: |
Domaine William Fèvre |
| Wine: |
Chablis Premier Cru Vaulorent |
| Vintage: |
2021 |
| Variety: |
100% Chardonnay |
| Region: |
Vaulorent (Fourchaume), Chablis Premier Cru, Burgundy |
| Country: |
France |
| Classification: |
Chablis Premier Cru |
| Oak: |
Part aged on fine lees in older French oak barrels, no new oak |
| Fermentation: |
Stainless steel, with natural fermentations |
| Closure: |
Diam composite cork |
| Cellaring: |
Now to 2035 (Neal Martin, Vinous) |
Where to buy
The Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Vaulorent 2021 is available online at thewineryonline.co.nz for delivery within New Zealand. You can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine. Online and in both stores you can select a mixed case from a large range of wines.
Questions we are often asked
Is William Fèvre Vaulorent 2021 ready to drink?
Yes. Neal Martin of Vinous puts it in its drinking window from 2025, and it should keep well for many years.
What scores did Vaulorent 2021 get?
Andy Howard MW gave it 95 for Decanter. William Kelley (Wine Advocate), Christy Canterbury MW (TimAtkin.com) and John Gilman each gave it 94.
Is Vaulorent a Grand Cru?
No. Vaulorent is a Premier Cru within Fourchaume, but it shares the Grand Cru hillside and borders Les Preuses.
What food goes with Vaulorent 2021?
Grilled lobster, turbot, scallops and fish in a cream sauce all suit it, and it has the weight for foie gras.
Where can I buy Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Vaulorent 2021?
The Winery sells Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Vaulorent 2021 online at thewineryonline.co.nz for delivery within New Zealand. You can also buy it in our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores.
