The Producer

Bernard Defaix

Fourth generation from a family of vine-growers, Bernard Defaix started with 2 ha in 1959. From this period, a method to protect the vineyard against spring frost was discovered. Thanks to this, the vine-growers could be sure to have a minimum of harvest every year and so they began to develop stable trade markets. 

The two sons of Bernard have been managing the domain since twenty years or so. 

• Sylvain is in charge of the vinification, the ageing, the bottling and the preparation of orders. 
• Didier takes care of the vineyard and the general management of the domain. 
• Helene, Didier’s wife, looks after the administrative and the commercial part. 

So, from the vine to the final customer, the family looks after all the operations!

The Region

Chablis

.he Chablis (pronounced [ʃabli]) region is the northernmost wine district of the Burgundy region in France. The cool climate of this region produces wines with more acidity and flavors less fruity than Chardonnay wines grown in warmer climates. These wines often have a "flinty" note, sometimes described as "goût de pierre à fusil" ("tasting of gunflint"), and sometimes as "steely. The Chablis Appellation d'origine contrôlée is required to use Chardonnay grapes solely.

The grapevines around the town of Chablis make a dry white wine renowned for the purity of its aroma and taste. In comparison with the white wines from the rest of Burgundy, Chablis wine has typically much less influence of oak. Most basic Chablis is unoaked, and vinified in stainless steel tanks.

The amount of barrel maturation, if any, is a stylistic choice which varies widely among Chablis producers. Many Grand Cru and Premier Cru wines receive some maturation in oak barrels, but typically the time in barrel and the proportion of new barrels is much smaller than for white wines of Côte de Beaune