2024 Bernard Defaix Montee de Tonnerre Chablis 1er Cru, Burgundy

Mid lemon yellow. Lively fruit, with some of the more exotic flavours apricot and peach, but in balance. Richer than expected at the finish, one of the wines where it is hard to find the vintage. Drink from 2027-2030. Tasted Jul 2025.

90-92 Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy

Domaine Bernard Defaix is one of Chablis' most respected family domaines, with the Defaix family cultivating vines in the region for generations. Today Didier and Sylvain Defaix continue the estate's thoughtful approach, combining organic viticulture with precise, sensitive winemaking. Montée de Tonnerre is among the most coveted Premier Crus in Chablis, prized for its proximity to the Grand Cru hillside and its ability to deliver extraordinary mineral intensity, elegance and longevity.

The 2024 vintage produced wines of freshness, energy and beautifully defined terroir expression. Montée de Tonnerre's Kimmeridgian limestone and fossil-rich marl bring unmistakable Chablis character, while its privileged exposure gives the wine impressive depth without sacrificing tension. Defaix's restrained winemaking keeps that exceptional vineyard firmly in focus.

Pale gold with bright green highlights, the bouquet opens with lemon zest, green apple and white peach, followed by white flowers, oyster shell and crushed chalk. With air, subtle notes of citrus oil, wet stone and almond emerge. The palate is precise and beautifully textured, with vibrant citrus and orchard fruit wrapped around racy acidity and a powerful mineral core. There is impressive concentration here, yet everything remains taut and energetic, finishing long, saline and wonderfully persistent.

Made for the table: freshly shucked oysters, scallops with lemon butter, grilled John Dory, lobster, sushi or a magnificent plateau de fruits de mer. Delicious with air in its youth, but Montée de Tonnerre has the structure and mineral drive to become increasingly complex in bottle.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2038.