Fourteen generations of Defaix family members have tended this plot of land in the tiny hamlet of Milly. Defaix's wines are classic--steely and unoaked Chablis with a purity of fru it and a creaminess from lees aging, but still light on their feet and refreshing. Daniel-Etienne raises the fruit and the wines naturally, never fining or filtering. They are built for the long term, using only the finest cork closures and only released after several years of bottle aging. William Kelley for wineadvocate.com writes: "On my most recent visit to the Defaix winery, I tasted with Paul-Etienne Defaix, the 15th generation of the family to perpetuate the domaine. Demand for the wines is high. The estate's 2010 premiers crus were bottled this year, with plans to release them once the 2009s, reviewed here, are sold out. While I knew Defaix practiced very long élevage, I confess I hadn't quite realized just how long, but a tour of the winery revealed tank after tank, full of Chablis patiently awaiting its moment in the limelight. Since my last visit, 2007 and 2008 have both come and gone, but I tried examples of both and found much to admire. The 2009s, on first encounter, are richer and more developed in style, as is to be expected of that warmer, more giving vintage." (7/2022)