Description
A family-owned domaine since 1895, today the estate is managed by Lilian Duplessis, having taken over from his father Gerard in 1999. Lilian converted their various plots to organic farming and has taken the family label to stratospheric new heights. Their sites are set exclusively atop the prized Kimmeridgian limestone soils. The wines are built with structure and depth of flavour as key, with an extended elevage before bottling (at least 2 winters for the Premier Cru and Grand Cru) key to the signature of the domaine. A far cry from the often insipid and lacklustre Chablis that people envision.
Duplessis’ trio of Chablis AC parcels are located facing the Premier Cru of Vaillons. These plots combined produce a wine with a lively minerality and a mesmerising array of white floral notes—both capturing and enhancing the site’s expression.
The quality of the farming here is evident with a vibrancy of both fruit and mineral expression on the nose, which follows through with layered definition. The purity of fruit and minerality is kept front and centre, with aging only in stainless steel. 2 years have passed since the vintage, yet Duplessis is only now releasing it—a testament to their approach of using time as a key to quality.
All things considered, this Chablis is a far cry from the often limp and insipid Chablis village examples.
