Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Les Lys 2016

Domaine Daniel-Étienne Defaix (also known as Domaine du Vieux Château) is a true Chablis legend, with winemaking roots stretching back centuries. The estate is a radical outlier in the region: following an ultra-extended aging on the lees - often lasting between 18 to 36 months - the wines are purposefully held back and released only when they have achieved full maturity and peak complexity. Combined with organic farming and Chablis' famed Kimmeridgian limestone soils, this unique approach lends the wines an incredible depth of flavour while maintaining that textbook, searing acidity and minerality.

The Chablis 1er Cru 'Les Lys' hails from a highly prized 3.5-hectare parcel within the historic Clos du Roi -representing the vast majority of this 5-hectare climat. Its southeast aspect catches the generous morning sunlight, ensuring a gradual, perfectly balanced ripening. Purposefully held back by the estate and released only 8-10 years after the harvest, this is arguably Defaix’s most chiselled and mineral-driven cuvée.

On the nose, it displays pure aromatics of lemon peel, white flowers, and wet stone, beautifully layered with complex notes of beeswax from extended bottle ageing. The palate is energetic and mouth-watering; appetising lemon pith and green apple flavours, paired with intense minerality carry through to a long-lingering, bone-dry finish. Absolutely classy.