2015 Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Vaillon

Daniel-Etienne Defaix is the owner of one of the oldest estates in Chablis. For four centuries, the Defaix family has been winemakers from father to son. The family estate is situated on the oldest terroirs of Chablis, where monks at Pontigny made a selection a thousand years ago. The privileged exposure of the monks of Pontigny was, and still is, a hill with a high southeast-facing slope. An advantage for Chablis, which often struggles with frost in the spring, this privileged spot catches the sun's rays first, resulting in far fewer harvest losses. Daniel-Etienne Defaix is the undisputed master of 'long-aged Chablis'. There is no rush, and they firmly believe that the wines must mature; this is evidenced by the fact that they only release their Premier Crus after around 8-12 years, but we have personally drunk vintages 30 years and older, and these were even more than fantastic. These long-aged Chablis from vintages can also be ordered by us upon request, and naturally, we have some of our own in our assortment. However, what makes this estate so unique is not just the fact that no wood is used during the production process. The unique fruit from the old vines of the vineyards and time do their work, turning every production into gems.

The Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Vaillon only became available in small quantities after 11 years and was not bottled until 2025. The soil of the old Chardonnay Premier Cru vineyard is very old, situated on very poor soils of limestone, marl, and some iron ore, and has a southeast exposure. As 'Master of the Long Elevage', everything is given time at Daniel-Etienne Defaix, and this applies especially to his Premier Crus, which are often released on average only after 8-12 years, and by then the wine is often still a baby. Alcoholic fermentation with natural yeast at 18°C lasts approximately 3 weeks. Afterwards, the wine ages for at least 18 months with monthly stirring of the fine lees and then remains in tanks for at least 10 years before bottling.

The fruity and spicy notes of the Vaillon Premier Cru vineyard terroir slowly emerge with some swirling in the glass, but then the wine's power awakens with buttered brioche, mirabelle accents, and candied apple. On the nose, the Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Vaillon further reveals aromas of citrus, beeswax, fresh peach, and dried white flowers, followed by a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel with an abundant and satiny palate, lively acidity, and a broad, expansive finish.

ABOUT CHABLIS

Millions of years ago, the area around the present-day town of Chablis was covered by the sea. During the Jurassic period, the sediment-enriched clay of the Chablis region began to form, and it is this clay that gives Chablis wine its unique elegance, freshness, and complexity. Until the nineteenth century, vineyards occupied a larger area around the town of Chablis, on the Serein river, roughly halfway between Dijon and Paris. However, the region fell victim to a phylloxera epidemic that damaged most of the vineyards. Terroir in Chablis, however, did not change. Cultivated hectares decreased significantly (from about 100,000 hectares in the entire department at the end of the 19th century to 10,000 hectares in the Chablis region today), but the soil, the climate, and the expertise of the winemakers did not.

Wines from Chablis are classified as follows:

- Grand Cru , the crème de la crème. These come from vineyards north of the town of Chablis, on a steep, south-facing slope. On the Route de Tonnere, it is about a mile (less than two kilometers) from the junction with the D91 to the junction with Rue Blanchot. Here, varying in altitude from 135 to 220 meters, you will find the best vineyards of Chablis: Bougros, Les Preuses, Vaudésir, Grenquilles, Valmur, Les Clos, and Blanchot.

- Premier Cru , excellent wines from vineyards cultivated on favorably situated slopes, scattered throughout the area. Vau Ligneau, Vau de Vey, and Côte de Léchet are narrow strips of land on steep slopes to the east-west of the village of Milly; Vosgros is a comma-shaped, west-facing vineyard on the northern part of a hill called Paradis, at an altitude of 590 to 689 feet (180 to 210 meters).

- Chablis, the designation given to good but not great wines that still benefit from the Chablis terroir. The vineyards involved are often less steep or not as well-oriented compared to the vineyards that produce higher-rated wines.

- Petit Chablis , wines that deserve the name Chablis but fall short of others from the region because they are made from grapes grown on less than ideal soil or on north-facing slopes. (The word "petit," meaning "small," is a kind of quality indicator, as if "Petit Chablis" is the little brother of larger Chablis wines.)