Joseph Paget Chablis 2023

Some wines that come to us are a bit of an enigma. A bottle that unequivocally stands out in a tasting from industry friends, and makes the cut past our buyers’ scrupulous standards. We love it, we buy it, we share it with you, and sometimes that’s all there is to it! Joseph Paget Chablis 2023 is one such wine. With limited information about the producer online, what we do know is its origins (Chablis), grape variety (Chardonnay, of course), and how it tastes (exquisite). Its under $20 price on six bottles is simply the icing on the cake!

You know it’s a small, under-the-radar, private-label producer when there’s no apparent website or real digital footprint for the winery. However, we have seen whispers and theories floating around online of past vintages being connected to Leflaive, but we can neither confirm nor deny the rumors (poke around on Google and you’ll see what we’re talking about).

We DO know there’s a list of other wines released from Joseph Paget on Wine Searcher – a portfolio of Premier Cru and Grand Cru White Burgundies from vineyards within the famed Montrachet and Meursault regions. This indicates a humbly high-end production with a greater focus on craft vs. marketing. Not a bad thing at all, just… mysterious! And we do happen to love mysteries.

My notes: 2023 was a warm and generous vintage for Chablis, producing wines with ripe fruit and solid freshness. This wine is just so pretty, with classic notes of lemon, green apple, bosc pear, and a whisper of vanilla, intermingling with chalky, flinty mineral undertones and balanced with crisp acidity.

It’s as expressive of a Chablis as you’ll find anywhere in the under-$50 range, and certainly impressive at its sub-$20 mark! We’re inclined to bring home several to last through Spring. Six bottles is your magic number to secure free shipping, but why stop there?