Bernard Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Montee de Tonnerre 2019

This is Domaine Bernard Defaix's Montée de Tonnerre, the right-bank premier cru that sits immediately alongside the grand cru hill.

Montée de Tonnerre is divided from the grand cru Blanchot by a single small valley and shares its Kimmeridgian marl and south-westerly exposure, which is why growers treat it as the senior site of its rank and why its wines show more flesh, more grip and a longer finish than most Chablis premiers crus. The domaine is a more recent creation than its vineyards suggest: Bernard Defaix, the fourth generation of a family of vine-growers, started with two hectares at Milly in 1959. His sons Sylvain and Didier took the reins in the 1990s - Sylvain looking after vinification, Didier the vines - and the holding now runs to some twenty-seven hectares from Petit Chablis up to premier cru. Farming has been organic since the 2009 conversion, certified by Ecocert and supplemented with biodynamic preparations. Depending on the cuvée the wine ferments in tank or in oak and is then held eight to twelve months on its fine lees, so the texture is built slowly rather than imposed.

Best given two or three years and capable of eight to ten. Serve at 10-12°C with grilled prawns, roast chicken or a plate of Comté.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.