2011 Chablis Les Lys

Daniel-Etienne Defaix is a fantastic producer who holds back their wines to release them once mature – as with this 2011 Les Lys. This climat lies within the larger Vaillons Premier Cru, bordering Séchet and facing northeast, therefore cooler and often picked later than the other Premiers Crus. The resulting wine is taut and vibrant, with wet wool, honey, cooked apple, sweet peach and honeysuckle, alongside an intense stoniness. It’s pure and long on the palate, the bright acidity driving the finish, with a textured, chalky and creamy mouth-feel, leading to a biting, oyster-shell finish with the scent of lime peel lifting the minerality.