2023 Bernard Defaix Petit Chablis, Burgundy

(from Milly). Prominent aromas of petrol and mineral reduction overshadow the citrus and green apple scents at present. Once again there is very good energy to the seductively textured medium weight flavors that conclude in a bitter lemon zest-tinged finale. This is one of those wines that you just feel like drinking as it’s so refreshing.

87-90 points burghound.com Drink 2026+

Chablis is in a good place. Like the rest of Burgundy, the cellars are full after good yields in ’22 and better than good yields in ’23. From this latter harvest just passed, people are telling stories of fruit falling off the back of trucks as they made their way to the winery and the streets of Chablis being covered in grapes and juice! Some have even suggested that this was done intentionally, as the vines carried yields well above the legal limits!

To get back to the current releases, the quality of this grower’s 2022 wines is seriously impressive. We loved the delicacy of Defaix’s 2021s, but the new wines are next level. Sometimes, you’ve got to pick a favourite. Sure, it was another warm and sunny year, but unlike 2020, it wasn’t dry, which has made a staggering difference. Tasting the wines from the top growers, you would be hard-pressed to guess that it was a sunny vintage. Even if the wines are generous and intense, they have great brightness, terroir expression and infectious energy. In short, Didier and Sylvain Defaix’s ’22 Chablis are slap-bang in the classic, mineral-laden house style but with an extra degree of fruit generosity.

We are sometimes lucky enough to taste some older Defaix vintages when we visit, and this year, we drank a Vaillons 1995 and a Côte de Léchet 1989. Both were superb. Given how delicious and approachable this grower’s wines are on release, it may surprise people that it’s only with 10 years or more bottle age that the wines of Domaine Bernard Defaix start to peak. If you can hold some bottles in good condition (even the basic Chablis for 5 to 10 years), you will be amply rewarded!

Screwcap. Unusually for a Petit Chablis, which generally comes from the lower-lying sites on Portlandian limestone, the lion’s share of this cuvée is drawn from a parcel of Kimmeridgian-based soil. Yet it’s not necessarily the type of limestone but more the location that makes the difference. The small Defaix parcel is very well situated on the slopes above Milly and Vaillons, a cool site that comes into its own on warmer vintages. In recent years, two small parcels in Poinchy and Beines have been added to the roster to flesh out some volume. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and raised in glass-lined tank, it’s a terrific vintage for this wine: nicely ripe yet mouth-wateringly bright with textured orchard fruits and a hint of quinine on the snappy finish.