Tasted with Thierry and Mélanie Laffay in Chablis, 06 March 2023.
Domaine Thierry Laffay
20 Rue Paul Bert
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 42 47 41
www.chablisthierrylaffay.com
In January of this year, I took a lunch in the centre of Chablis. I only wanted one glass of wine so asked what the restaurant had open – they suggested a 2017 Laffay Vaillons – so why not? The nose started a little tired – who knows how long the bottle had been open – but the wine got better and better in the glass – I really liked the personality, so…
The Laffays are an old family of Chablis, headquartered in a fine old building in the centre of the town.
Thierry’s great-grandmother had multiple parcels – some more came from his wife – the domaine currently covers 7 hectares but with multiple locations and a largest parcel in Vaillons that is over 2 hectares. Thierry explains “Phylloxera decimated the vineyards and Chablis became mainly fields for cows. My great-grandfather was predominantly a shepherd but had one small parcel of vines in an area that rarely frosted and so kept it running. My grandmother kept the domaine running but my father chose to take a job in Paris. I went to the wine school in Beaune in 1976 and came back to restart the domaine in 1978. I’m ready for retirement so my daughters Mélanie & Mailys will be taking on the domaine.”
Commercialising wine in bottle started here in the 1990s. There are a few barrels used but here it’s mainly tank elevage – the grand crus delivering only a barrel of each in 2021 – only 18 hl/ha – so about 1/3rd of a harvest here. “We had to harvest a little earlier than I would have liked because some rot started to develop.”
Normally, they like to use a selected yeast – ‘but a neutral one’ – as they have experienced ‘stuck’ fermentations, “But we didn’t have a choice in 2022 as the fermentations started so quickly.” Bottlings done almost a year after the harvest – very little sulfur used through the process.
Today, about 50% of their commercialized bottles are exported – a large part in Europe but further afield too.
The wines…
A nice visit with good wines – I think it will be fascinating to see how these wines evolve over the next dozen years.
Their Petit Chablis was already sold out when I visited:
2021 Chablis
A compact nose but with some freshness and faint yellow citrus – slowly growing with air. Hmm, nicely direct, pretty and vibrant, a lovely proper citrus flavour here. That’s a lovely wine.
2021 Chablis Vieilles-Vignes
A small cuvée, this year a blend of parcels.
A deeper nose with a little lime fruit. Broader, silky, mineral wine – again with lots of citrus and fine acidity. This wine finishes more intense… A super finish, that’s lovely…
2021 Chablis 1er Vaillons
They are currently commercialising 2016 and 2018 of this.
A narrow nose but of interesting, inviting, depth. Hmm – a wine that washes over the palate – plenty of acidity but never sharp – this I could already drink today. Lovely!
2021 Chablis 1er Côte de Lechet
More floral than citrus for this nose. Another wine that’s direct, floral again in the flavours and mineral – chiselled and saline. Long finishing – another wine that’s more about intensity than concentration – but such fun in the mouth – citrus energy!
2021 Chablis 1er Mont du Milieu
Starting with a tiny reduction – this with cork – most of the earlier bottles are diam… Slowly more complex but still a compact nose. More impact in the mouth, slightly rounder too – supple and more generous but not lacking any energy – I prefer the more frank expression of the previous two wines – so give this time – it’s still only tank elevage here.
2021 Chablis 1er Vaillons – Barrel elevage cuvée
The next generation are experimenting with barrels – these are 4 years old…
Wide, much more open aromas and with plenty of creamy barrel background. Hmm, but that’s a lot of fun in the mouth – direct like the non-oaked sibling. I think it super but I’d also be waiting 3 years for the oak to fade.
2021 Chablis Vaudesir
A single barrel – so the aromatic oak is present. Nicely direct like the Vaillons but with extra roundness in its shape. There’s more concentration and complexity here – that’s super – the oak is less overt in the flavours but this is still a wine to wait for a couple of years – lovely.
The domaine also has some Bougros but this is being replanted.