Domaine Bernard Defaix Petit Chablis 2023

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 well situated on the slopes above Milly and Vaillons, a cool site that comes into its own in 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 lovely vintage for this wine: nicely supple yet mouthwateringly bright with pulpy apple blossom, pear fruit and dashes of lime on the vibrantly sappy finish.