Diam. Much like the rest of Burgundy, Chablis’ finest vineyards have, for better or worse, become synonymous with a symbolic grower. This is the case with Côte de Léchet and Domaine Bernard Defaix. With nine hectares of vines overlooking the village of Milly, the domaine is the largest single holder within this 1er Cru, and its cellars sit at the base of the Léchet hill. Didier Defaix is, therefore, the vineyard’s emblematic vigneron—as well as the site’s only certified-organic grower. 

Perfectly exposed to the southeast, Jasper Morris MW describes an archetypal wine from Léchet as “Entirely white fruited in style …not dissimilar to Beauroy, but with more intensity”, while Andrew Jefford suggested the hill gives “some of the most 'mineral' Chablis of all”. In 2022, you get the best of all these, even if there is an extra dollop of fruit sweetness compared to a classical vintage. Taking advantage of the vineyard’s intensity and to build complexity, Didier Defaix ferments a quarter of this wine in old, neutral barrels which previously housed Defaix’s old-vine Reserve Léchet bottling. It’s a fleshy and seamless Côte de Léchet with oodles of mixed citrus, briny drive and impressive tension between waves of fruit and the vibrant, chalky freshness that this site always delivers in spades. Doggone delicious and a bargain in the scheme of things. 

Diam. Unlike Côte de Léchet, Defaix’s Monty is made from purchased fruit. Didier Defaix tells us he has worked with the same grower for 20 years. Although the vineyards are not organically certified, the family “works like us” (that is to say, he’s very happy with the quality). The Montée de Tonnerre is drawn from old vines in Chapelot, which forms 20 hectares of the vineyard on a similar southeast-facing aspect to the neighbouring Grands Crus. The vineyard’s iconic grower is, of course, Raveneau, although Moreau-Naudet, Billaud-Simon and others farm vines in this prestigious lieu-dit. This cuvée ferments with native yeasts entirely in used barrels (one to five years old) with regular bâtonnage. The wine is bottled after 12 months. From the outstanding, balanced 2022 vintage, it’s a textbook Monty with striking minerality enhanced by succulent yellow fruits, flowers and confit citrus, with all the saturated flavours pulled into the long, crushed-oyster-shell finish. Another damn-fine-value white Burgundy.

Diam. Rully’s Les Cloux vineyard is located just south of the village, with south-easterly exposure on the sirloin cut of Rully 1er Cru overlooking the plain of Saône. Les Cloux is home to Defaix’s oldest vines, planted in 1944 on the classic clay/limestone mix found across the best sites in Burgundy. Since 2009, these old vines have been managed organically. Within Rully, Les Cloux is known for its ability to balance elegant and mouthwatering flesh with tangy grip and fine length, and 2022 delivers in spades. This 100% Chardonnay fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in older barrels (up to seven years old) for 12 months before settling in stainless steel. It’s a silky, textural wine, long and focused with a delicious salty-savoury close. Simply, a delicious and fine-value white Burg.

Diam. Clos du Chapître is a one-hectare monopole behind the family house and cellars within the Rully 1er Cru Chapître, enclosed by a two-metre-high stone wall. The Pinot yields here are controlled by severe pruning, de-budding and green harvesting. There is also manual sorting of bunches to keep only the most beautiful clusters of fruit. This year, the wine aged in oak barrels (10% new) for 12 months before settling in tank before bottling. 

Jancis Robinson MW has written that the wines from this site “offer proof that the Côte Chalonnaise can now field wines of serious interest to those raised on Côte d’Or wines”. As always, Clos du Chapître delivers the expected step up from the village Rully in depth, structure and complexity, yet there’s no lack of juicy brightness courtesy of this utterly charming vintage. Complete, tense and mineral with a crushed-velvet mouthfeel, this looks great. 

Diam. Rabourcé has traditionally been nicknamed ‘the Montrachet of Rully’ for the richness and power it delivers. It is a very steep site west of the village, above the highly regarded Cloux vineyard and just below the woods. The soils are mainly composed of white, limestone-rich clay. The Defaix vines are now between 40 and 45 years old. Rabourcé is always one of Rully’s first vineyards to ripen, and Defaix’s 2022 is a superb example—a wine of impressive depth and power. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and was raised in used oak barrels. Expect waves of fleshy, mouthcoating stone fruit and kernel notes with excellent intensity, culminating in a long, balanced, refreshing close.

Diam. Jaeger-Defaix’s newest red cuvée (100% Pinot Noir) comes from a small parcel of Rully village vines purchased in 2011. Sited in the Vorot lieu-dit, the 30-year-old vines have been farmed organically for decades. This well-sited parcel yields small bunches of grapes with thick skins and powerful juice. This year's fruit was entirely destemmed, and the wine aged in seasoned oak barrels (from one to three years old) for 12 months. This is a juicy, highly enjoyable, elegant and rewarding Burgundy with cherry and violet-scented flesh and the suave, powdery mouthfeel of top-notch Pinot Noir. Great value!

Screwcap. Defaix’s village Chablis is drawn from four parcels of mature, 30-plus-year-old vines situated around Milly and Poinchy on the left bank of the Serein River. The wine ferments spontaneously and ages on fine lees for 10 months in glass-lined tanks. Compared to the wine above, the older vines translate to more character, depth and classical restraint—not to mention supersized minerality and ozone salinity. This is an impressive 2023 Chablis. The nose shows beautiful candied-lemon, cool white peach and floral notes. Then, it’s terrifically vibrant in the mouth, with juicy fruit, ripe acidity and a generous lick of oyster shell to close. Lovely wine! A terrific, seductive Chablis and another outstanding-value wine from Domaine Bernard Defaix.