Daniel-Etienne Defaix
Today we offer a true gem from the 2014 Vintage - Daniel-Etienne Defaix. I’ve sourced some amazing bottles from them over the years, this release might be among the very best.
2014 is widely regarded as a “classic among classics,” with many calling it the single greatest Chablis vintage in decades. It delivered that ideal balance of ripe fruit, razor-sharp cut, and dazzling acidity, the sort of purity and tension we only wish appeared every year. The frenzy was immediate: I sold more Chablis from 2014 than in the previous five years combined.
By late 2016 most of the wines had disappeared from the market and today it is nearly impossible to find much of anything from the 2014 vintage. I was recently browsing one of my suppliers' stock list and I saw the listing for Defaix 2014. There are a couple of Defaix’s in Chablis and after confirming it was from Daniel & Etienne I quietly replied “I’ll take all!”
Defaix is one of the few producers in Chablis committed to extended lees aging in tank. This 2014 Vaillon spent a full 10 years in the cellar. Nothing is hurried. Fermentations are natural, and after completion, the wine rests undisturbed on its fine lees, never racked.
This slow evolution creates magic. The lees enrich the texture, giving the wine a silky, almost glycerol feel—all without oak. They also act as a natural preservative, protecting the wine from oxidation while allowing it to develop gradually. Over time, layers of honey, hazelnut, dried flowers, and savory umami emerge, while the core of Chablis freshness remains vibrant. It’s a style that marries classic minerality with remarkable depth—usually only seen after years in the cellar.
I sold the Vaillon in both 2005 and 2010. Believe me there were some sceptics when I offered the 2005, people thought how could you age the wine 10 years and it not be oxidized? Count me as one of those sceptics, but after tasting I quickly became a believer.
There are not any reviews for the wine, or at least that I could find. This is one to buy without hesitation - you can thank me later.
