Defaix Chablis Premier Cru Vaillon 2015
by Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix
- Grape variety
- Chardonnay
- Region
- Chablis Premier Cru AOC, Burgundy, France
- Style
- white
- Alcohol
- 13%
- Vintage
- 2015
Price: CHF 43 In stock
About this wine
Vaillon is one of Chablis' great Premier Cru sites, known for its iron-rich Kimméridgian soils that give the Chardonnay an unusually fleshy, textured character alongside the chalk minerality. Defaix holds four hectares on a 28% south-east slope, the vines averaging 42 years old. No oak, natural yeasts, 18 months of monthly lees stirring. Then patience. The 2015 is 11 years old and has developed the spice that the iron in the soil creates: a warm mineral note that opens over the course of a glass. Defaix's Vaillon has won Major at Tastevinage. This one is quieter about it.
Tasting notes
Deep straw-gold. The nose shows white peach and ripe pear alongside a warmth from the iron-rich soils that registers as earthy spice. On the palate, fleshy and broad for a Chablis — the iron-derived character evident as a textural minerality. Long finish, persistent acidity, showing its age gracefully with an emerging complexity.
Aromas
white peach, ripe pear, earthy spice, chalk, iron minerality, dried herbs, lemon zest
Critic scores
- Vivino: 4.2
Structure
body medium · tannin none · acidity very high · sweetness bone dry
Serving
Serve at 12–14°C · Drink 2026–2030
Food pairings
Sea bass with ginger broth, Grilled sea bream, Pad Thai with prawns, Comté
Best for
Iron in the soil. Texture in the glass.
From the winemaker
100% Chardonnay from the Vaillon Premier Cru (iron-rich Kimméridgian marl, 28% SE slope, vines avg 42 years); natural yeast fermentation at 18°C; complete MLF; 18 months monthly bâtonnage in stainless steel. No oak.
Editor's note
Vaillon's soil has an unusually high iron content — it gives the Chardonnay a minerality you taste as texture rather than flavour. The 2015 is now 11 years old and built for it: still precise, still tensioned, with a developing spice character that only appears with age. 18 months on lees in stainless steel. Defaix's Vaillon has won Major at Tastevinage before. This one is quieter about it.
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