2023 Bernard Defaix Chablis Grand Cru Bougros, Burgundy

“A discrete nose today. Hmm – here is volume but also a more direct urge from the flavours. Supple concentrations, melting rewardingly over the palate. Growing with a small burst to the finishing flavours. Longer in a spiced style from the elevage… For keeping at least 3-4 years…”

Bill Nanson, Burgundy Report

“There is no new oak here. In fact, all of the barrels are seven to eight years old. The nose extends sliced apples, cantaloupe, cinnamon toast and warm oatmeal. Flatteringly long and succulent, this will be approachable after five or six years but will certainly hold longer.”

94 points, Christy Canterbury MW, Tim Atkin Burgundy Report

Here too the wood treatment is moderate on the elegant white flower and citrus-infused aromas that display classic Chablis scents, especially oyster shell. The textured and highly energetic larger-bodied flavors exude a subtle minerality on the powerful, serious and built-to-age finish where a touch of bitter lemon slowly emerges. This mildly rustic effort is very Bougros in style and character.

91-93 points burghound.com Drink 2031+

Bernard Defaix Chablis Grand Cru Bougros is a commanding and finely structured white Burgundy from one of the most powerful and expressive of Chablis' seven grand cru climats. Bougros sits at the western end of the grand cru slope, where a slightly more sheltered exposure and deeper clay-limestone soils produce wines with more volume and concentration — and in the hands of the Defaix family, this power is matched by a precise mineral core and beautiful ageing potential.

The fruit comes from a small, south-facing parcel planted on classic Kimmeridgian marl, organically farmed and hand-harvested. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, followed by ageing in a mix of stainless steel and used French oak barrels for added texture and depth. The winemaking is deliberately restrained, aiming to let the site speak with clarity and complexity.

In the glass, it opens with aromas of lemon curd, white peach, oyster shell, hazelnut and crushed stone. The palate is full bodied and intense, with layers of ripe citrus, green apple, grilled almond and a flinty, saline edge that gives the wine structure and lift. The finish is long, savoury and mouthwatering, driven by vibrant acidity and chalky minerality.

Food pairing: ideal with lobster, scallops, grilled turbot, roast chicken with tarragon, or aged Comté. Also excellent with creamy seafood pasta or a simple oyster platter.

Cellar potential: excellent now with a decant but will age gracefully for 10 to 15 years, developing more nutty, honeyed complexity and a soft, savoury depth.

Diam. Located in the northwest corner of the Grand Cru slope below Preuses, Bougros has a notable south-easterly exposure and the steepest gradient of all the Chablis Grand Cru vineyards. We like Jasper Morris’s evocative description of the Bougros style, which he says is "like being smothered in a great big woolly jumper—big, fat, soft and round”. This speaks to the texture of the wines from here. Morris goes on to describe the top of the vineyard—the sector from which this wine hails—as displaying the classical minerality of Chablis. The wine ferments and ages in oak barrels with regular bâtonnage and is bottled after 18 months