Chablis Domaine Bernard Defaix Wine

2nd of January 2012

On the special issue "The Burgundians of the year" Dec 2011/Jan 2012, the magazine Bourgogne Aujourd'hui has selected our domain for the steadiness of its progress and the for the very chablisian style of our wines.
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In the cellar, the alcoholic fermentations, rather long, have finished at the end of November. Then for most of the wines the malolactic fermentation has followed. As for the vintage 2010, the wines are becoming more refined with the malo. We can now see the potential of this vintage which confirms its relation with 2010.

In the vineyards, the winter finally arrived after a chaotic summer and an exceptionally nice and warm autumn. Because of this mild autumn, the descent of the sap was slow and the leaves fall was late. So the pruning began a bit later than usual.

10th of October 2011

2011 less early than planned...

The spring exceptionally fine and warm was followed by a chaotic summer. So, after a very early flowering, the veraison came a bit later than waited and the determining of the harvest date has not been simple.
This year indeed, the concentration of sugar on the berries has evoluated very slowly; so we had to be patient to reach concentration and balance. Thus, instead of a harvest initially planned around the 25th-29th of August, we have begun the 2nd of September in Rully and the 5th of September in Chablis.
However, 2011 stays an early vintage even if it is a bit less than we thought.

In Rully, the hail just before the 14th of July has perturbed the season and obliged us to make a very severe sorting in order to keep only the very best.

The alcoholic fermentations with natural yeasts have started quickly and and are taking place quietly. They are not finished yet. On the first tastings, we see a good concentration on the same style than 2010. A great balance too, strongly linked to a good control of yields, real kee point of this year.