Sun-soaked precision from one of Chablis’ most stony slopes. The 2023 Côte de Léchet from Domaine Bernard Defaix comes from a steep, south-east-facing Premier Cru site on the right bank of the Serein River, one of the sunniest and rockiest terroirs in the region. The vines, averaging 35 years old, are rooted in classic Kimmeridgian limestone strewn with fossilised seashells, producing a wine that marries ripe, generous fruit with crystalline minerality.
Certified organic since 2012, the Defaix family hand-harvested the fruit at optimal ripeness before fermenting in stainless steel to preserve purity, with a portion aged in seasoned oak for texture. Extended lees contact adds a subtle creaminess that weaves through the wine’s vivid, saline frame.
In 2023, Côte de Léchet’s sunny exposure has yielded a Chablis that is both full and finely etched: lemon curd and candied citrus meet poached pear and crushed chalk, with gunflint and sea spray lending a savoury, mouth-watering close. It’s a wine of breadth and cut, delicious now with fine seafood, but with the structure to evolve gracefully for decades.
Sun-soaked precision from one of Chablis’ most stony slopes. The 2023 Côte de Léchet from Domaine Bernard Defaix comes from a steep, south-east-facing Premier Cru site on the right bank of the Serein River, one of the sunniest and rockiest terroirs in the region. The vines, averaging 35 years old, are rooted in classic Kimmeridgian limestone strewn with fossilised seashells, producing a wine that marries ripe, generous fruit with crystalline minerality.
Certified organic since 2012, the Defaix family hand-harvested the fruit at optimal ripeness before fermenting in stainless steel to preserve purity, with a portion aged in seasoned oak for texture. Extended lees contact adds a subtle creaminess that weaves through the wine’s vivid, saline frame.
In 2023, Côte de Léchet’s sunny exposure has yielded a Chablis that is both full and finely etched: lemon curd and candied citrus meet poached pear and crushed chalk, with gunflint and sea spray lending a savoury, mouth-watering close. It’s a wine of breadth and cut, delicious now with fine seafood, but with the structure to evolve gracefully for decades.