Description
Daniel-Etienne Defaix, Chablis Premier Cru “Les Lys”
While most estates in Burgundy funneled their 2019s out the door long ago, Daniel-Etienne Defaix’s stunning trio of 2007 Premier Crus has just left his cellar, and they’re priced right in line with everyone’s current releases! Call it what you want (shocking/abnormal/insane), but ultimately, this is a rare breath of fresh Burgundian air in an era of immediate consumption and ever-increasing prices.
Defaix truly is one of the last guardians of unprecedented slow aging and sheer value, and there’s already growing consensus that the ’07s are the freshest he’s ever released. Bottom line: The man is bottling some of the most complex, cellar-worthy, and fairly priced 1er Crus in all of Burgundy. That’s why we’re beyond thrilled to offer the first of Defaix’s three Premier Crus, “Les Lys,” which marries the best traits of his generous “Vaillon” and structured “Côte de Lechet” bottlings. Simultaneously round, leesy, and mineral-tense with thought-provoking depth, this is 15-year-old Premier Cru Chardonnay brilliance at a price that virtually no other producer could/would ever dream of matching. It’s downright engrossing. If only there was enough to go around…
My own experience cellaring top Premier Cru Chablis has shown that most drink best between 5-15 years of bottle age. This is typically the point when oxygen has broken the wine down to the perfect balance between refreshing minerality and advanced aromatic complexity. This waiting game, however, can be dangerous, as one never knows if the wine has expired until the bottle is open. Fortunately, Daniel-Etienne Defaix has proven himself a master of anticipating each vintage’s eccentricities in this regard. Over the past few years, I’ve enjoyed a variety of Defaix whites from the late-1990s to today’s 2007, and almost always, spectacularly, they’ve possessed a beautiful synthesis of youth and maturity.
Even in a historically rich appellation like Chablis, Premier Cru “Les Lys” is special. The vineyard, which sits at the top of the hill of “Vaillons,” was once owned by the French monarchy (as indicated by the fleur-de-lis, or “Les Lys”). While most other parcels on this hill face south, “Les Lys” faces the opposite direction, overlooking the bewildering expanse of Chablis’ Grand Crus. This site’s unique aspect and chalky soils make for wines of remarkable delicacy and precision. The specific sub-parcel that produces today’s elegant beauty is a southeast-facing slope in a section known as “Clos du Roi,” essentially a monopole of the estate. The Defaix family owns 3.5 hectares here, as they believe this is the best soil “Les Lys” has to offer.
Defaix’s family has been producing wine in and around this region for hundreds of years, allowing them to amass an ample collection of Premier Cru vineyards which are currently farmed by hand and fertilized with natural compost and manure. Still, I’d say that the most exciting and unique aspect of this property is what happens in the cellar. Defaix’s whites ferment for 3-4 weeks using only indigenous yeasts and malolactic is always completed but never artificially rushed—sometimes it takes several months. It’s an unusually patient, hands-off process, but the excitement doesn’t end there: Defaix aged today’s 2007 for over 10 years in specially designed stainless steel tanks (to promote lees integration) before further aging in bottle. It was not fined, filtered, or cold-stabilized. Because these wines are built for aging, Defaix finishes the process with superior-quality corks purchased years in advance to ensure durable and reliably air-tight closure.
We’ve mentioned this for every Defaix offered on our site, but it’s always worth reiterating: The miracle of Daniel-Etienne Defaix’s unique cellar regimen is its ability to perfectly preserve a vintage’s youthful energy and vitality across many years of aging. So, while they bring all the depth and complexity one seeks in mature white Burgundy, there is no “trade-off” (i.e. no unpleasant oxidation nor watery/linear finish). On the contrary, this 2007 “Les Lys” delivers vibrant aromas and textures, and has the unrivaled freshness of a five-year-old Premier Cru, not 15. Poured at 55 degrees in a large Burgundy stem, the nose reveals notes of yellow apples, Bosc pear, salt-preserved lemon, crushed rock, cheese rind, lees, drawn butter, honeysuckle, damp white flowers. The palate is medium-bodied and loaded to the brim with mellow, ultra-traditional Chablis flavors that stretch into a 30-second finish. The supple, deep-reaching textures here are astounding! Enjoy a few bottles now, and check in on your others once they hit their 20th birthday. Cheers!
