Domaine Bernard Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet 2023

Domaine Bernard Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet 2023Product Description Sun soaked precision from one of Chablis most stony slopes. The 2023 Cte de Lchet from Domaine Bernard Defaix comes from a steep, south east facing Premier Cru site on the right bank of the Serein Riverone 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

Product Description
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.

Tasting Notes
NOSE
– Bright & flinty
Candied lemon, poached pear, orchard blossom, wet stone, and a whisper of gunflint.

PALATE
– Textured & incisive
Lemon curd and tangy grapefruit over a creamy mid-palate, balanced by vibrant acidity and a chalky core.

FINISH
– Saline & expansive
Long, persistent, and mouth-watering, widening in power as it lingers.

Reviews & Accolades
"Yellow citrus with mineral clarity… an incisive start, finishing vibrant and widening." – Bill Nanson, Burgundy Report

"Lemon curd, warm milk, crushed chalk; creamy yet dry with zesty acidity." – Christy Canterbury MW (for Tim Atkin), 93 points

Burghound 90–93 points: “Candied citrus, poached pear, shellfish, wet stone; powerful and saline.”

Finer Details:
Style – White Wine
Varietal – Chardonnay
Country – France
Region – Chablis
Vintage – 2023
Bottle Size – 750ml
ABV – 13%