🔥 1944 VINES | RULLY 1ER CRU | 92POINTS BURGHOUND | TOP VALUE

This is exactly why smart Burgundy buyers look beyond the obvious villages.

Exceptional Rully Premier Cru

The 2023 Jaeger-Defaix Rully 1er Cru Les Cloux Blanc comes from a Premier Cru site planted with the domaine’s oldest Chardonnay vines — dating back to 1944.

That alone is worth paying attention to.

But then add:

92 POINTS — BURGHOUND

TOP VALUE — BURGHOUND

100% Chardonnay.

Premier Cru.

Clay-limestone soils.

Organic vineyard management.

18 months in oak.

Lemon.

Yellow fruit.

Verbena.

Minerality.

Texture.

Fresh acidity.

Fine bitters.

And a broad, persistent finish.

Bill Nanson tasted it and called it:

“A MAGNIFICENT WINE.”

That is a serious endorsement.

DOMAINE JAEGER-DEFAIX

Domaine Jaeger-Defaix is based in Rully, in the Côte Chalonnaise.

Hélène Jaeger took over the estate in 2005 from her great-aunt Henriette Niepce, continuing a family winegrowing history that stretches back centuries.

The domaine has become increasingly well regarded for wines that combine:

Finesse.

Transparency.

Minerality.

And strong vineyard identity.

That matters.

Because the best Rully should never taste generic.

Mont-Palais should taste different from Rabourcé.

Rabourcé should taste different from Les Cloux.

And Les Cloux?

This is the domaine’s old-vine, mineral, structured expression.

LES CLOUX

This is where the wine gets seriously interesting.

LES CLOUX.

A Premier Cru vineyard in Rully.

Situated above Le Chapitre.

As you move higher up the slope, the clay-limestone soils become progressively lighter.

And the vines?

These are the oldest Chardonnay vines at the domaine.

PLANTED IN 1944.

That gives you nearly eighty years of vine age in the 2023 vintage.

Old roots.

Low natural vigour.

Concentration.

Complexity.

And a vineyard that has had decades to express itself.

Since 2009, these old vines have been managed organically.

OLD VINES PLANTED IN 1944

This is the line I’d push hard.

1944.

That is serious vine age.

Not 20 years.

Not 30 years.

Nearly eight decades.

Old Chardonnay vines can bring something you simply cannot manufacture.

Depth.

Texture.

Concentration.

Balance.

And a much stronger sense of place.

That’s exactly why Les Cloux is so compelling.

THE WINEMAKING

Jaeger-Defaix ferments and matures Les Cloux in oak barrels for 18 months.

Then the wine is bottled after a light filtration.

That’s an important contrast to Chablis.

This is white Burgundy with real oak élevage.

But the fruit and minerality remain front and centre.

The oak is there to add:

Texture.

Volume.

Complexity.

Length.

Not to bury the vineyard.

And with old-vine fruit this concentrated, the wine can handle it.

TASTING NOTES

The 2023 is beautifully expressive.

Yellow fruit.

Lemon.

Verbena.

Ripe citrus.

Floral notes.

Subtle spice.

Then the palate.

Broad.

Fleshy.

Mineral.

Fresh.

There’s real amplitude.

But also enough acidity to keep everything precise.

And the finish?

Fine bitters.

Minerality.

Length.

Persistence.

YELLOW FRUIT.

LEMON.

VERBENA.

CITRUS.

FLORALS.

MINERALITY.

TEXTURE.

FINE BITTERS.

LONG FINISH.

This is serious Premier Cru Chardonnay.

92 POINTS — BURGHOUND

Burghound awarded the 2023 Les Cloux:

92 POINTS

And marked it:

TOP VALUE WINE

That is exactly the sort of recommendation worth paying attention to in Burgundy.

Because value and Burgundy rarely appear in the same sentence anymore.

Burghound found:

Citrus.

Minerality.

Lift.

Fine structure.

And enough depth to reward short-term cellaring.

His suggested drinking horizon begins around 2028+.

BILL NANSON — “MAGNIFICENT”

Bill Nanson’s reaction was even more direct.

He found the 2023:

Mineral.

Intense.

Perfectly ripe.

Complex.

Broad.

And beautifully persistent.

His summary?

A MAGNIFICENT WINE.

That is a huge compliment for a Rully Premier Cru.

And it fits exactly with the style of the vineyard.

Old vines.

Mineral soils.

Good ripeness.

Plenty of depth.

But still precision.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

• 90–92 Points — Burghound
• Top Value — Burghound
• Bill Nanson — Burgundy Report
• Rully Premier Cru
• Les Cloux
• 100% Chardonnay
• Côte Chalonnaise
• Old vines planted in 1944
• Organic vineyard management since 2009
• Clay-limestone soils
• Located above Le Chapitre
• 18 months in oak barrels
• Light filtration before bottling
• Yellow fruit
• Lemon
• Verbena
• Citrus
• Floral notes
• Mineral character
• Broad palate
• Fleshy texture
• Fine bitters
• Fresh acidity
• Excellent structure
• Long finish
• Serious cellaring potential
• Classic white Burgundy

 

FOOD PAIRING

This deserves proper food.

Scallops.

Absolutely.

Pan-seared scallops are a perfect match.

Grilled fish.

King George whiting.

Lobster.

Crab.

Roast chicken.

Veal.

Creamy mushroom dishes.

Goat’s cheese.

Comté.

Aged Gruyère.

The domaine itself specifically suggests Comté or goat cheese, while Guide Hachette recommends seared scallops.

👉 RULLY 1ER CRU. 1944 VINES. 92 BURGHOUND. TOP VALUE.

Lemon. Yellow fruit. Verbena. Minerality. Length.

This is seriously smart white Burgundy.

Searching for exceptional Rully Premier Cru? The 2023 Jaeger-Defaix Rully 1er Cru Les Cloux Blanc is an old-vine Chardonnay from vines planted in 1944 on classic clay-limestone soils. Organically managed and matured for 18 months in oak, it combines lemon, yellow fruit, verbena and floral detail with mineral intensity, broad texture, fresh acidity and a long, fine-bitter finish. Awarded 92 points and Top Value by Burghound.