2017 Bernard Defaix Chablis Grand Cru Bougros, Burgundy

Cork. Located in the northwest corner of the grand cru slope, Bougros has a notable southeasterly exposure and the steepest gradient of all the grand cru vineyards. I like Jasper Morris' evocative description of the Bougros style; “like being smothered in a great big woolly jumper-big fat, soft and round.” (Inside Burgundy, 2010). This speaks to the texture and Morris then goes on to describe the wines from the top of the vineyard—the sector from where this wine hails—as displaying the classical minerality of Chablis. This wine comes from a long-term lease arrangement whereby Didier and Sylvain Defaix manage the viticulture and the harvest. The wine is fermented and aged in used oak barrels for 18 months before bottling. From ’17, this is a palate-filling Grand Cru with great depth of crystalline fruit and, thanks in part to this parcel's elevation, an exhilarating tension. It's an intense, layered and spicy grand cru of considerable class, showcasing the depth and vibrancy of the best wines from this outstanding vintage.

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'A generous application of wood currently fights with the green fruit, oyster shell, quinine and petrol scents. There is notably more volume and power to the relatively big-bodied flavors that possess ample dry extract that coats the mouth on the moderately dry and saline-inflected finish where the wood resurfaces. This is very Bougros in style and while it does avoid rusticity, the wood regimen isn't subtle.'