About the Wine

Les Hauts de Milly is produced by the outstanding and well-established artisanal Chablis producer Domaine Bernard Defaix. Bernard and Monique Defaix began with 2 hectares in 1959 and today with a lot of hard work the estate owns 27 hectares in Chablis and 6 hectares in Rully (Cote de Chalonnaise). Since the late 1990’s the Domaine has been managed by Bernard and Monique’s two sons Sylvain and Didier Defaix. Didier manages the vineyards while Sylvain is in charge of vinification and aging. Helene Jaeger-Defaix, the wife of Didier, is the owner of the Rully vineyards and manages the commercial aspects of the domain.

The Domaine is located in the village of Milly, less than 1km NW of Chablis. The Domaine was certified organic in 2009 (Ecocert). They also use various preparations for a biodynamic approach. The wines here are impeccably made and showcase the deep limestone soils that have made Chablis world famous.

Chablis is loved by wine geeks and everyday drinkers alike for its characteristic minerality and finesse. Chablis' distinct terroir is due to a unique soil type found only in Chablis, Champagne, and southern England called Kimmeridgian. An ancient soil, 180 million-year-old to be exact, made up of clay and limestone that contains fossilized oyster shells. These fossilized sea creatures are attributed to Chablis being such an excellent pairing for oysters and fresh seafood. In addition to the minerality, Chablis is known for its incredible structure and mouthwatering salinity. If you haven't had the pleasure of falling in love with Chablis yet, what are you waiting for?

Elevage: 80% Stainless Steel, 20% Barrel Fermentation (1-5 year old barrels).

Tasting Notes: 100% Chardonnay. Complex nose of white flowers, smoky, chalk, lemon, and peach skin. The wine shows great weight and concentration in the mouth with mouthwatering minerality and acidity, lemon and quince fruit. The finish is stony mineral-driven and very long.

Reviews

From the coolest of the premier crus, this wine is as much about texture as fruit. Young and taut with touches of spice and a steely edge, the wine is just setting out. Drink from 2023. ~93 Wine Enthusiast

Citrusy aromas of iodine, acacia, and white peach. The luscious, round and seductively textured medium-bodied flavors possess both excellent volume and a bracing salinity on the clean bitter lemon-inflected finale. ~90-92 Burghound

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