2012 Chablis Cotes de Lechet

Delicate cedary citrus and a slight creamy note. Tightly coiled, fresh and streamlined but with a ripe fruit core. Relatively soft. (JH)

The 2012 Chablis 1er Cru Cote de Lechet comes from 8 hectares of vine, the largest holding of this premier cru, and 20% is fermented and aged in oak barrels. It has an outgoing peach skin and passion fruit scented bouquet that is nicely defined and will have wider commercial appeal than the other premier crus. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly waxy texture, struck through with good acidity and a dash of spice toward the finish. It needs a little more tension, but there is good length here. Drink now-2020. ||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. Wine Advocate.August, 2014