Domaine Bernard Defaix - Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet 2023
2*Étoiles
Hachette
90-93/100
Burghound
16,5/20
Jancis Robinson
16/20
Bourgogne Aujourd'hui
"Beautifully textured, with excellent volume and obvious power, according to Burghound: a must for lovers of exceptional Chablis!"
This premier cru from the left bank of the Serein expresses all the minerality of the Chablis terroir: flint, salinity, and a very slight bitterness on the finish. "Ripe aromas of candied citrus, poached pear, shellfish with a hint of wet stone. The beautifully textured palate has excellent volume with obvious power and minerality. A wine that deserves to be discovered. 90-93/Top quality/price" (Burghound 2024)
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Eye
Bright gold color
Nose
Floral and elegant bouquet, typical mineral aromas of flint and gunflint
Mouth
A beautiful texture and lovely richness lead to a beautiful length, lots of class, complexity, and a salty finish.
Open
1 hour before
Drink from
2025
Drink before
2040
Food and wine pairings
Enjoy with fish in white butter sauce, veal blanquette, scallops au gratin...
Bettane & Desseauve
Rated estate (2020 guide) 1*Star (A serious, recommendable production, in line with what one would expect from its appellation(s))
About the estate:
We welcome the return of Didier and Sylvain Defaix to this guide, who have once again submitted samples this year, and we are very glad they did. Since 2009, the estate has been converting to organic farming, and in the early years this slightly altered the balance of the wines, which we didn't like at the time. With time, everything has settled down and the wines tasted this year are worthy representatives of the appellation.
Bourgogne Aujourd'hui
Wine rated (2024 guide) 16/20
About wine:
Elegant aromas of citrus, white fruits, pineapple, with a hint of lemon. The wine is full of fruit, taut, dense, chiseled, and made for aging.
Guide Hachette des vins
Rated wine (2026 guide) 2 stars (Outstanding wine)
Rated estate (2020 guide) Award-winning wines (This producer's wines are regularly recognized by the guide)
About wine:
A pronounced mineral character and youthful austerity typical of the appellation: this premier cru from the left bank will require patience before revealing its full aromatic richness. A vegetal and fruity nose precedes a well-structured palate, with just the right amount of oak, straightforward, taut with natural acidity and minerality that carry the finish far. 2028-2035
About the estate:
The Defaix estate is a well-established winery in Milly, taken over by Sylvain and Didier Defaix, Bernard's sons. It is also a wine merchant business created in parallel, which operates in the same spirit as the estate.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate
Rated estate (2020 guide) Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate)
About the estate:
Founded in 1959 with just two hectares, Domaine Bernard Defaix now covers 27 hectares (certified organic since 2009), whose fruit is supplemented by purchased grapes. Much of the production is fermented and aged in stainless steel, although the Chablis Vieilles Vignes and several of the premiers crus, as well as the Grand Cru Bougros and Vaudésir, feature varying percentages of wood, most of which is used. The wines are lively and punchy, with good depth and concentration, and I found much to admire in the estate's fine 2017 collection. They deserve serious consideration.
RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France
Rated estate (2020 guide) Selected (Please note that this guide is a ranking and, as such, all the estates listed in it, even those without stars, represent, in our opinion, the excellence of French production.)
About the estate:
Sylvain and Didier Defaix run the family estate in Milly, whose vineyards are located on the left bank of the Serein River. Their premier cru wines, which are slightly less well known than those from the right bank, hold some wonderful surprises in store in warm years, particularly on the Côte de Léchet terroir. Thanks to skillful vinification and aging on lees in vats, the wines gain richness and are protected from oxidation. The more common wines produced by the négociant (Fourchaume premier cru and grands crus) simply bear the name Bernard Defaix, but are highly recommended. The entry-level wines offer remarkable value for money and the grands crus have improved: the estate is in good shape.
Burghound
Wine rated (2024 guide) 90-93/100
About wine:
Here too, the oak treatment is pleasantly subtle, though noticeable in the ripe, layered aromas of candied citrus, poached pear, shellfish, and a hint of wet stone. Here too, the medium-bodied and beautifully textured flavors show excellent volume and obvious power and minerality on the sappy, salty, and dry finish that is slyly long. This wine is also worth discovering. 2029+ / Top Quality/Price
Jancis Robinson
Wine rated (2023 guide) 16,5/20
About wine:
Green fruit flavors that are clearly intense enough to stand up to the oak. Good backbone. The structure is well present, but this wine should age very well and should not be ridiculously expensive. However, it is not incredibly long. 2027-2040
ESTATE PRICE
37
.90
Cash Back | 2.00%