2013 Daniel-Etienne Defaix, Chablis 1er Cru "Vaillon"

A scion of one of Chablis’ oldest families, like Raveneau and Dauvissat, Daniel-Etienne Defaix is stubborn in the best way. While most producers have modernized to expand and accelerate production, Defaix (a friend of the late legend Henri Jayer) clings to a tradition that has all but disappeared from Chablis. It once was the rule, but he is now the lone exception. He does it because he can. Most of his costs were paid long ago by his ancestors. His model makes no financial sense; if he were a young upstart with little money or land, it would be impossible. After harvesting from his Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards, his wines ferment naturally with indigenous yeasts (a rarity in Chablis), then spend a ridiculous 10+ years aging in steel tanks on their lees before bottling. Nobody else in Chablis does this. Defaix’s parcel in the Premier Cru “Vaillon” vineyard (singular, because these vines are in the original core of the vineyard before it was expanded in 1976 and became “Vaillons”)