Domaine Besson Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru 2022

Domaine Besson is a tried-and-true First Bottle favorite – a small family domaine with access to some of the top Chablis sites, making small amounts of under-the-radar wines that always deliver. Grand Cru Chablis for over 40% off, and the best price anywhere in the world, is pretty exceptional, however you slice it – plus, as ever, free shipping on 3 or more!

This small Burgundy house is led by Camille Besson, a fourth-generation winemaker in the family who has crafted outstanding Chablis that can stand up to the very best of the region. Her Grand Cru and Premier Cru single site offerings are simply fantastic – and today’s 2022 Les Clos Grand Cru is a testament to her attentive processes and awe-striking skill in the field and cellar. The climate is only a 0.15-hectare parcel on a southwest-facing slope, covered in Kimmeridgian limestone-clay soils and sustainably farmed using the Guyot pruning method and hand harvesting. As usual, no new oak is used during the 18 months of aging, with a high proportion kept on the fine lees to infuse some rounded bready character, balancing out the piquant fruitiness.

Take into consideration the absolutely pristine 2022 vintage, and this is a Chablis that should be hoarded en masse, and drunk with reckless and feckless abandon for the rest of 2025 and well into 2026. The vintage is considered top-class – that oh-so-rare combination of perfectly ripe and full fruitiness, seamlessly balanced with the crunchy minerality and illuminating brightness that makes Chablis is one of the world’s most desired food pairing wines. Camille Besson’s style has always exemplified that fruity, approachable style of Chablis, and this 2022 gives ample pleasure right out of the bottle.

Luxurious aromas of nectarines and yellow peaches, with lemon verbena notes, and a soft flourish of pineapple, white flowers, and oyster shells – this is a vibrant offering that still sneaks in the prerequisite flavors of chalky and tingly citrus undertones. The ample fruit gives this a weight and heft that borders on hedonistic, while Chablis’ electric undercurrent of acidity keeps all in check and smoothly balanced. This is a bottle for the glass, to be drunk at all the myriad occasions that demand quenchable Chablis – and our 43% off price point is simply spectacular!