Daniel-Etienne Defaix, Chablis 1er Cru “Vaillon”
Daniel-Etienne Defaix, Chablis 1er Cru “Vaillon”

Daniel-Etienne Defaix, Chablis 1er Cru “Vaillon”

Burgundy, France 2006 (750mL)
Regular price$60.00
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Daniel-Etienne Defaix, Chablis 1er Cru “Vaillon”

Defaix’s family has been producing wine in and around this region since the 1500s. Defaix works almost exclusively with Chardonnay and his ample collection of Premier Cru vineyards are farmed entirely by hand and fertilized with natural compost and manure. It’s an ancient and devoutly traditional operation in the vines. It’s also worth mentioning that his ~50-year-old “Vaillon” holdings lie in the heart of the original Premier Cru parcel, before the vineyard was expanded to include other microclimates. Still, I’d say that the most exciting and unique aspect of this property is what happens in the cellar. Over the last handful of centuries, the Defaix family has amassed a sprawling collection of Premier Cru acreage in Chablis—yet very little of the fruit it produces ends up in wine with a Defaix label! With 70+ acres of vines in the region, Daniel-Etienne oversees a ruthless triage (sorting) every harvest that banishes all but the finest, most pristine grapes to the négociant (merchant) market. Only a minuscule amount of peak-quality product remains for fermentation in the Defaix cellar. 

 Unlike so many other older white Burgundies in the market, there is no premature oxidation, no watery finish, and zero cracks in its foundation. As usual, it’s a bonafide masterpiece that will continue evolving for many years to come. In the glass, it reveals star-bright aromatics in the form of crushed yellow apple, pineapple core, salt-preserved Meyer lemon, lime blossoms, quince, crushed almonds, lees, honeysuckle, gardenia, pulverized chalk, seaspray, and bergamot orange zest. It’s beautifully layered palate is medium-bodied and intensely mouthwatering, thanks to surging waves of crushed-stone minerality.

Daniel-Etienne Defaix, Chablis 1er Cru “Vaillon”
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France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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