Defaix 2012 & 2015

I spent four days last week in Chablis and tasted a fair amount of wine. I’ve had some experience with Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix going back a few years now, but really had not tasted any of the wines in the last couple of years.

If you’re unfamiliar, Defaix ages the wines on their lees in stainless steel for extended periods, often 10 years or more. The wines see no oxygen during this time, and that prolonged lees contact allows them to develop the complexity of aged wine without sacrificing freshness.

While in Chablis, I bought a couple of bottles from their boutique and drank them over the course of three to four days, sometimes not even bothering to put the cork back in. On the first day, I was blown away by the freshness and energy both wines still possessed. The Côte de Léchet, at nearly 15 years old, showed a mature nose with notes of iodine, beeswax, lemon, and a hint of oyster shell. The Vaillons also offered a very distinctive Chablis nose but may have been a big border in the mouth reflecting it came from a sunnier vintage.

What really stood out, though, was the palate on both wines: incredible freshness, real energy, and a strong mineral character that carried through to a lip-smacking finish. There was no mistaaking these wines as anything but Chablis!

I continued drinking them over the next few days, and even with minimal care, they held up beautifully. Kept in the fridge but often left uncorked, they maintained their freshness, structure, and precision well into the fourth day.

If you enjoy the complexity of aged Chablis, these are absolutely worth your attention. Hard to beat at the price. I was only able to secure five cases of each, so I wouldn’t wait too long. Arriving in April.