Bernard Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2023 050526OFFER iron-rich schist slope that produces

iron-rich schist slope that produces the appellation's sternest

this Alban-clone Syrah from Santa Lucia Highlands has matured into something extraordinary

but don't mistake accessibility for simplicity

emerging polished but classic: the kind of Rioja that tastes like Rioja

full of sharp minerality and acidity with a touch of sweetness

Bernard Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2023 050526OFFER iron-rich schist slope that producesBernard Defaix farms organically across 27 hectares in the heart of Chablis, with parcels in four of the region's top premier crus. Vaillons sits on the left bank of the Serein, a classic Kimmeridgian limestone amphitheater of fossilized oyster shells laid down in the Jurassic. It is the more elegant counterpoint to the family's powerful, marl driven Cote de Lechet, also on the left bank above Milly: cooler, finer, and more about lift than weight. A