o m r e t o W i n e
Daniel-Étienne Defaix
Estate
Since 1610
e m a i n g
The unique ‘homemade touch’ in Chablis lies in a number of secrets and details:
h e D e f a x i g n a t u r e
- Harvesting takes place at perfect maturity, with careful sorting to remove any green berries or dry rot.
- A slow, three-hour pressing is carried out, keeping each cuvée separate and retaining only the first, purest juices.
- This is followed by 18 hours of natural, static, meticulous settling.
- Alcoholic fermentation lasts around three weeks using native yeasts, at a low temperature (18°C) to preserve the grape’s natural glycerol and its floral character.
- Malolactic fermentation is always completed to eliminate any risk of refermentation in the bottle.
From Grape to Wine, Without Hurry
Respect for the Fruit,
Expression of the Terroir
Fine-lees stirring (bâtonnage) is performed every month for 18 months, without adding sulfur, using only the carbon dioxide naturally retained from malolactic fermentation.
This gradual breakdown of the yeasts—known as autolysis—enriches the wine with aromas that express the purity of its terroir. Over time, it brings greater volume, fresh-fruit and tertiary notes, as well as a robust structure for ageing. It contributes to the wine’s characteristic “fatness,” strengthens aromatic persistence, and enhances its retro-olfactory potential.
Fining and filtration are not systematic (why remove what we waited so long to obtain?), and bottling is done under nitrogen.
The wines are then aged for 6 to 12 months in bottle at the estate before release.
By then, the Chablis are 2 years old, and the Premier Crus 5 to 8 years old.