About the Wine
Daniel-Etienne simply refuses to release his wines until he believes they are mature. While there is nothing wrong in drinking a wine on the younger side, there can be something beautiful about aged wine.
And this wine is beautiful. From the Cote de Lechet, which is one of the most sun-drenched sub-regions of Chablis and home to well draining slopes. With complexity coming from both bottle age and extended lees contact, this is a wine to be savoured and marvelled over. Bright, golden yellow in colour, with oat biscuit, plump peaches and ripe apples. It's still has freshness and vitality to it, so feel free to tuck this away for a few more years. You won't be blamed for drinking it now, though.
About Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix
Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix might be one of the most interesting Chablis producers you've never heard of, perhaps even one of France's.
The eponymous Daniel-Etienne, about to do his 36th vintage, is the 15th generation of this family to make wines in Chablis, a legacy that spans over 400 years. He is based in Avallon, at a 16e Century property.
Wild yeast ferments, no oak usage at all, long cool maturation in one of the region's largest cellars, and, most spectacularly, release of all his wines with exceptional bottle age - the 1er Crus about eight years, and the Grand Crus about 15 years. Extraordinary man and extraordinary wines.

Chablis, France