Chablis Premier Cru 'Vaillons', Domaine Séguinot-Bordet, 2025
Chablis Premier Cru 'Vaillons', Domaine Séguinot-Bordet, 2025
- White Still
- 75.0cl
- 12.5%
- Chardonnay
Séguinot-Bordet have been coaxing Chardonnay out of Chablis soil since the 1950s, and their Vaillons is the wine that tends to make converts of sceptics. Vaillons sits among the finest of the Premier Cru climats, a south-facing amphitheatre of Kimmeridgian limestone that gives this wine its unmistakable chalky spine. This is a 2025, released as a young wine still finding its feet, so we'd suggest patience here rather than popping it open on a whim.
Expect the house style: precise, unoaked or barely-touched, built on tension rather than flesh. Give it a couple of years in the cellar and the citrus will deepen into something more saline and complex, the kind of wine that rewards a long lunch and a good appetite for shellfish.
- ❖ ABV: 12.5%
Grapes
Chardonnay
Vintage report
The 2025 vintage in Burgundy remains a work in progress, with harvest only recently concluded and the wines still settling into their skins in cellars across the Côte d'Or. Early reports suggest a season that kept vignerons on their toes, though we're still waiting for the full picture to emerge as the wines complete their primary fermentation and malolactic conversion.
What we can say is that 2025 appears to be shaping up as a vintage that will require patience rather than immediate gratification. The reds seem to have good colour and structure, whilst the whites are showing promising acidity that should reward those willing to wait. We'd recommend holding fire on firm judgements until the wines have had proper time to show their true character, likely not until late 2026 at the earliest. For now, it's one to watch rather than one to declare.
Tasting Notes
AppearancePale lemon with a greenish glint at the rim.
NoseLemon zest and crisp green apple sit over a distinct wet-stone minerality, with white blossom and a faint note of crushed oyster shell.
PalateBracingly fresh with a saline, chalky core, the citrus fruit kept on a tight leash by racy acidity and a subtle creamy texture beneath.
FinishLong, flinty, and bone dry, with the acidity doing most of the talking.
Overall impressionA coiled spring of a wine that needs a little time to unwind.
Food Pairings
In Chablis itself, this wine would sit happily alongside andouillette or jambon persillé, but it's really built for the sea: oysters straight from the Atlantic, langoustines, or a simple sole meunière. Gougères are the classic local starter, their cheesy richness a perfect foil for the wine's acidity. We'd also reach for it with a soft-ripened cheese like a young Chaource rather than anything too pungent.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve cool at 10-12°C, not fridge-cold, to let the minerality show through. No decanting needed at this stage, though a short 20-minute airing won't hurt once it's had a few years to develop. A tulip-shaped white wine glass will concentrate the aromatics without losing the precision.
Vaillons lies on the Right Bank's southern flank, a sprawling climat of Kimmeridgian limestone and marl rich in the fossilised oyster shells that define true Chablis character. The south-east exposure and moderate slope bring good ripening in a marginal, often chilly climate, while the limestone's natural drainage and mineral charge keep the wines taut rather than fat. It's a terroir built for tension, not generosity.
Chablis Premier Cru covers a set of named climats on the slopes either side of the Serein river, ranked a notch below Grand Cru but often delivering comparable thrill at a fairer price. Vaillons is one of the largest and most consistent of these climats, prized for wines that balance the steeliness of village Chablis with a touch more depth and flesh. It's Chardonnay stripped of adornment, where soil and climate do the talking rather than winemaking flourish.
The 2025 vintage in Burgundy remains a work in progress, with harvest only recently concluded and the wines still settling into their skins in cellars across the Côte d'Or. Early reports suggest a season that kept vignerons on their toes, though we're still waiting for the full picture to emerge as the wines complete their primary fermentation and malolactic conversion.
What we can say is that 2025 appears to be shaping up as a vintage that will require patience rather than immediate gratification. The reds seem to have good colour and structure, whilst the whites are showing promising acidity that should reward those willing to wait. We'd recommend holding fire on firm judgements until the wines have had proper time to show their true character, likely not until late 2026 at the earliest. For now, it's one to watch rather than one to declare.
FAQs
What does this wine taste like?
Taut and citrus-driven with a chalky, saline minerality and a long dry finish, it's precise rather than lush.
When should I drink this wine?
It's young now. Give it until 2028 to find its feet, and it will drink well until 2038.
What food should I pair it with?
Oysters, langoustines, or a classic sole meunière all work brilliantly, as do gougères for something simpler.
How should I serve it?
Serve at 10-12°C in a white wine glass. No decanting required, though a brief airing helps once it's a few years older.
Is this wine worth cellaring?
Yes. This is a wine built on tension and limestone, and a few years in the cellar will reveal far more than drinking it young ever could.
Want to know more?
Discuss your requirements with our account managers, Stephanie, Ed, & Jen
-
Personal Service
- Our team are always on hand to support you, taking orders online, by phone or email & responding to urgent requests.
- Our efficient warehouse & team of drivers always go the extra mile to deliver our wines to you.
- Our new, high-capacity warehouse ensures excellent availability of wines.
- Our new enterprise platform means hassle-free service, from inventory to billing.
-
Our Sales Team
Speak to one of our teamStephanie Duncan
With 25+ years in the wine trade, Steph knows the UK market inside out, from premium wine and wholesale to hospitality and retail. A WSET Diploma holder and unapologetic Champagne fan, she loves building great relationships and finding exciting wines.
Jen Neilan
Twenty years in hospitality later, after curating the wine list for Manchester’s first Neapolitan pizza restaurant, and running a natural wine bar, Jen made the move to the other side of the table.