Rare Chablis on Sale – Dauvissat + Droin + Defaix

For the last two decades, Summer and Chablis have become perfect partners, the most sophisticated and elegant way to wind down after a year of veuve and vigour. As the demand for Chablis increases year on year, production amongst the finest makers doesn’t, and tracking down an aged bottle of wonderful makers like Droin (let alone the illustrious duo of Raveneau & Dauvissat) has become somewhat of an insurmountable challenge, especially at any modicum of value. Today we’re bucking the trend to a relatively small degree, offering a meagre allocation of the greats, and one excellent new release from Bernard Defaix, all at healthily discounted prices.

— DROIN JEAN PAUL & BENOIT —

“People often cite Domaines Raveneau and Vincent Dauvissat as the two greatest exponents of Chablis, however, I would like to add a third – Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin. Over the last five or six years, Benoît Droin has really ratcheted up the quality. I cannot exaggerate how often Droin’s wines end up the best of the flight during the annual “Burgfest” blind tastings. Again and again, they shine against stiff competition. It is time to accept that Droin is now one of the leading producers in Chablis. The 2017s are incredibly exciting across the board: Chablis as it ought to be – full of tension, steely, poised and intense. The wines continue to represent outstanding value.” – Antonio Galloni

“Those that do not have access to Raveneau and Dauvissat – effectively unobtainable – can console themselves with these outstanding expressions of Chablis” – Le Guide des meilleurs Vins de France, La Revue du Vins de France

“Benoît represents the 14th generation of Droins, whose history as vignerons goes back to at least 1620. Over the years the Droins have built up excellent holdings of both premiers and grands crus, and are currently making them to a high standard.” – Inside Burgundy, Jasper Morris

— VINCENT DAUVISSAT —

“Probably the finest address in Chablis. Vincent Dauvissat uses oak sparingly to add complexity and dimension to his piercingly mineral concentrated wines. Some of barriques are 30+ years old. They are wines which are rarely exotic in their youth, tight as a drum in fact, but with age (and they age gracefully by the decade) they evolve and develop into exciting and comprehensive wines of sophistication and interest. These wines are difficult to procure; my allocation hasn’t changed in 17 years, but Vincent shruggs his shoulders knowingly as none of his export clients would ever give up a bottle of his beautiful wine.” – Australian Importer

— BERNARD DEFAIX —

“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.” – Neal Martin, Wine Advocate

“The improvement at this estate has been nothing short of phenomenal... Chablis fans should add the Defaix brothers to their short list of rising stars… The quality of the Defaix wines now puts the domaine among the top 10 in Chablis.” – Allen Meadows, Burghound