2012 Chablis Cotes de Lechet Reserve

The 2012 Chablis 1er Cru Cote de Lechet Reserve comes from a single plot of 55-year-old vines planted by Bernard Defaix: half of the crop fermented and aged in wooden barrels for 18 months. It has an attractive, defined bouquet of peach and nectarine, with granitic notes surfacing with aeration. The palate is well-balanced with a slightly honeyed texture on the entry. Quite rich in style, perhaps needing a little more tension on the finish, but there is plenty of flavor here to enjoy in the short-term. Drink 2016-2026. The Defaix family is one of the stalwarts of the village of Milly, although it was not until the 1960s that Bernard, together with his wife Monique, began bottling his own wine. The vineyard holdings were expanded over the years and it is presently Didier and Sylvain who run the domaine, the former generally out among the vines, the latter in the winery. (Incidentally, it is Didier’s wife, Helene, who runs Domaine Jaeger-Defaix in Rully.) There are 26 hectares of vine that were officially certified organic in 2009. Grapes are harvested mechanically, gently pressed, and then fermented and matured in either stainless steel or wooden oak barrels depending upon the wine. During those 8 to 12 months there is regular batonnage. There are both domaine and negociant bottlings, the latter including the premier cru of Fourchaume and the two grand crus. Theirs was a very commendable range of 2012s that displayed impressive consistency from the village cru upwards. They might be described as traditional Chablis in the best sense of the word and all-in-all, represent excellent value-for-money compared to other growers. Importer: Winebow (Illinois), Vin de Garde (Oregon and Washington State) and Vigneron Imports (California)