In a Silent Way: The Quiet Pleasures of Duplessis Chablis

3/8/18 -

Under the best of circumstances, organic and biodynamic viticulture is never easy. When you combine that with a marginal climate like that in Chablis the level of difficulty only increases. This is why we have such admiration for father and son vignerons Gérard and Lilian Duplessis. In an area known for industrial farming, the Duplessis family makes a beautiful array of terroir-specific Chablis from well-situated plots in the village, showing respect for the soil and utilizing traditional methods in the cellar.

Lilian, who has succeeded his father Gérard, farms the family’s 9 hectares of Village, premier cru and grand vines organically (certified since 2013). Cellar work is traditional with native yeast fermentations, long lees aging in stainless steel tanks, followed by 6 to 18 month elévage in neutral oak barrels before bottling. There’s nothing flashy or stylized here, the wines are quietly articulate, communicating the individual terroirs with subtlety and nuance.

Today we are pleased to offer a selection of the 2015 vintage along with a smattering of library releases. 2015 is a sunny vintage with charming fruit and with a fine bead of minerality within. And while we have secured nice quantities of this vintage, one should know that the 2016 and 2017 vintages will offer tiny quantities with frost, hail, and disease pressures all drastically lowering yields (Chablis is a marginal climate, after all).  

-John McIlwain