The generosity of Daniel-Etienne Defaix’s cellar reaches its pinnacle this afternoon with a super special Sunday bonus offer. Welcome to the majesty and complexity of very old vines planted in Chablis’ smallest Grand Cru, “Les Grenouilles.” Only five producers farm this extremely rocky, fossil laden slope that begins right at the foot of the river Seine, and the Defaix family is fortunate to have a small parcel that was planted back in 1960. Though not as flashy as “Les Clos,” or as structured as “Preuses,” “Grenouilles” is perhaps the most purely mineral, and enchantingly complex Grand Cru. Of course it needs time, and that’s why today’s 2011 is such a rare gift. Extended lees aging in tanks before bottling, then a long rest in the cold cellar where it was born, and presto: Grand Cru Burgundy that is ready to blow your mind right now! Of course it is achingly limited, so don’t miss out.
In an era when Burgundian whites are so often (a) overpriced and (b) engineered for quick release and young drinking, Defaix remains one of the last defenders of long, slow aging in the cellar and genuine value in the bottle. I can’t quite say how the estate stays in business after deferring profits for ten plus years, and then charging such modest prices for such exceptional wines—but I’m not arguing, either. My own experience cellaring Grand Cru Chablis has shown that most drink best between 15-25 years of bottle age. This is typically the point when oxygen has broken the wine down to the perfect balance between refreshing minerality and advanced aromatic complexity. This waiting game, however, can be dangerous, as one never knows if the wine has expired until the bottle is open. Fortunately, Daniel-Etienne Defaix is a master of anticipating each vintage’s eccentricities in this regard. Over the past few years, I’ve enjoyed a variety of Defaix whites from the late-1990s to the present, and almost always, spectacularly, they’ve possessed a beautiful synthesis of youth and maturity.
Defaix’s family has been producing wine in and around this region since the 1500s. Defaix works almost exclusively with Chardonnay and his ample collection of Premier Cru vineyards are farmed entirely by hand and fertilized with natural compost and manure. The same is true for the two Grand Crus that they are fortunate to have in their possession, “Blanchots” and today’s feature “Les Grenouilles.” At just ten hectares, “Grenouilles” is easily the smallest Grand Cru (Les Clos is almost three times as big), and as such it is generally the least familiar to even the most loyal of Chablis fans. The name is pretty straightforward: the vineyard ends right at the banks of the Seine, and no doubt there has always been a chorus of frogs keeping the farmers company while working the vineyards in the spring and summer.
The vineyard is strewn with large, limestone rocks that are full of fossilized seashells–a textbook example of the famous Kimmeridgian soils that lend Chardonnay grown in Chablis its characteristic minerality and length. “Les Grenouilles” takes this mineral component to its most intense level, and as such it can be a bit austere in its youth. But there’s zero concern in popping a cork on today’s 2011 anytime you’d like. This was an extremely classic vintage in Chablis, and it shows beautifully now (it was the best wine by far at a recent tasting given by their importer). I would give it a brief decant and then serve cool, not cold, in large Burgundy glasses. The tell-tale aromas of fresh picked apples, Meyer lemon, honeyed almonds, white flowers, dried ginger, and crushed stone lead to a medium weight texture and a complex palate that is perfectly balanced by subtle orchard fruits, citrus, fleur de sel, and of course oyster shells. Serve with super fresh, simply prepared shellfish and bivalves, or your most elaborate fish preparation. Even with a simple spread of aged cheese, this stunning white Burgundy will impress any and all lucky enough to snag a precious glass of this liquid gold.
