a late release wine, it’s a premier cru Chablis from a vineyard I don’t know, that was very fairly priced. It’s a real interesting and delicious wine, a real exotic complex finish. No minerals, chalk, or oyster shell but I like the wine. Not sure I’d call it Chablis, but it’s got good acidity, ripe forward fruit, and is drinking real well.
Had the 2005 Côte de Léchet a few weeks back. Really good!
beyond strange that today I got an offer for this very wine. I bit.
Bottle of the '05 last night was advanced. I’m off Defaix now after jumping on the recent releases the past few years.
Here’s my record the past few months:
2005 Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Les Lys- advanced
2008 Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Vallions- corked
2008 Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Vallions- oxidized (x2)
2014 Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis VV- advanced
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That’s unfortunate…
The vagaries of natural cork, alas.
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Yeah, and I don’t want to paint a broad brush on Defaix- have had a handful of good bottles- as have friends. Current streak just soured me a bit.
Wow, this is unfortunate!
I’ve quite a few bottles of 2005-2008, but so far have been lucky not coming across any issues with these.
I would also stop purchasing with a track record like this.
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I generally drink them within a year of the latest release, the 2007s I have had were very good, as well as a single 2008.
I figure, I wouldnt have stored them this long, so buy them and drink them.
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I love his late release Chablis and I’ve yet to have one that’s disappointed. Stinks that you’ve had such a bad run with these wines lately. I wonder if they were stored or shipped poorly prior to you receiving them.
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Haven’t had any issues with the 05s I purchased on release years ago. More recent purchases of 07 and 08s showed more inconsistencies and have similarly made me more hesitant to continue purchasing. I have one more bottle of 05 Defaix that I’ll have to dig out as I haven’t checked in on them in a while
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I had an amazing transformation on the 08 Vaillons…all signs of ox upon opening and day one…but as it aired out, especially day two, it brightened and this laser beam of citrus freshened the wine! Total shock! Big air when opening these.
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As I’m sure you probably know, Les Lys is a subsection of Vaillons that faces north, so a good bet in warmer years when some other vineyards get too much sun. I like it quite a bit these days.
With regard to Defaix, I bit on some 2007 Cote de Lechet recently–my first experience with this producer. I like 2007 quite a bit, but these DEfaix have all been pretty ho-hum, no matter how much air I give them.
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I’ve had two bottles of the '07 Cote de Lechet this year - both wonderful.
Good to hear. I have have 2 more bottles left, so hopefully they will be a step up from the first two. Based upon the first two, I would not rebuy a Defaix wine. (Note that I’m extremely picky about my Chablis. There’s very little from 2015, 16, 18, 19, 20 from any producer that I’m particularly interested in. 2014, 2017 definitely. 2021 maybe as well–haven’t had enough yet to tell.)
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My 2007 Les Lys two weeks ago was way advanced too 
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I had a 2008 Les Lys that I bought and drank in March and didn’t care for it. I’m not susceptible to TCA but looking at my notes I keep talking about a vinegar smell and taste, so might have gotten cooked along the way to my local shop?
08 Vaillons fine last night. Not the quality of 2010 Fevre Bougros opened first.
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Yeah-a little hard to compete with a grand cru.
Opened Defaix Les Lys 2007 today - light color, youthful, excellent. Phew!
Another bottle of Defaix that was great - the one from the OP - 2005 Les Lys.