The November 2026 Auction: Part 2
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1 / 2Lot 2591
Estimate: $275
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Reviews
92WA
"Bottled in February 2021 (no, that isn't a typo), Defaix's 2009 Chablis 1er Cru CÎte de Léchet wafts from the glass with aromas of honeycomb, golden orchard fruit, apricot, spices and dried white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, broad and satiny, it's a lively, saline wine that concludes with a delicately nutty finish. 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."
Region
White
Country
Score
"Bottled in February 2021 (no, that isn't a typo), Defaix's 2009 Chablis 1er Cru CÎte de Léchet wafts from the glass with aromas of honeycomb, golden orchard fruit, apricot, spices and dried white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, broad and satiny, it's a lively, saline wine that concludes with a delicately nutty finish. 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."
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The world's most influential fine-wine producer and the benchmark for Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and the Rhone. Its appellation (AOC) system codifies geography, grape and method, and its wines set the global standard for age-worthiness and terroir expression.
Produces the world's most revered Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from a mosaic of tiny, terroir-defined climats. Its hierarchy of village, Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards makes site the ultimate expression of quality.
Produces steely, mineral Chardonnay from Kimmeridgian limestone in Burgundy's cool north, prized for precision, purity and saline drive.
2009 in Burgundy was warm and sunny, producing ripe, rich and generous reds of hedonistic charm and supple tannins; the whites are opulent but can lack acidity, making them best enjoyed relatively young.
The world's most versatile white grape, producing everything from steely Chablis to rich, oaked whites. Its neutrality makes it a mirror of terroir and winemaking, and the foundation of white Burgundy and Champagne.