Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix, also known as Domaine du Vieux Château is an old, family owned domaine, located in Chablis, Burgundy. The 28 hectares of vineyards are currently farmed by Paul-Etienne Defaix.

Paul-Etienne Defaix’s wines are textural and complex, ones that may confuse consumers used to the tart, brittle, processed wines that are often passed off as expressions of the region's terroir.

The top wines of the domaine are: Chablis Premier Cru Les Lys, Chablis Premier Cru Côte de Léchet, and Chablis Premier Cru Vaillon.

The Chablis Premier Cru Les Lys 2004 scored 94, the Chablis Premier Cru Côte de Léchet 2006 scored 93+, and the Chablis Premier Cru Vaillon 2006 scored 93 by the Wine Advocate.

Robert Parker’s tasting notes on Chablis Premier Cru Les Lys 2004: “The 2004 Chablis Premier Cru Les Lys is superb, offering up a classy bouquet of green apple, almond paste, dried flowers and buttered citrus. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, bright and tangy, with a satiny, textural attack but lovely cut, tension and length. As one would expect, it's brighter and racier than the warmer vintages served alongside it.”

The winemaker of Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix is Paul-Etienne Defaix.

The 8-century old castle is one of the oldest castles in Chablis and belongs to Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix, which is also known as Domaine du Vieux Château. The castle attracts many tourists throughout the year. It’s a place where a thousand years ago the monks of Pontigny started to make wine.

The Defaix family have been winegrowers for four centuries. Paul-Etienne Defaix took over his father, Daniel-Etienne Defaix. At the same time, Daniel-Etienne Defaix learned a lot from his father, Etienne Defaix who was also a vigneron.

Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix vineyards are located on Kimmeridgian soils which give the Chardonnay wines their unique Chablis taste.

Paul-Etienne Defaix practices machine harvesting. He believes the skin touch brings special notes to the juice. Gentle pressing for 3 hours, then 18 hours of natural settling. Fermentation lasts for 3 weeks at a low temperature, to preserve the natural glycerol of the grapes and its floral side. Paul-Etienne Defaix uses natural yeasts for a long, slow fermentation in stainless steel. The wines are matured for 30 months. The stirring of the fine lees with the wine is carried out every month for 18 months, without sulphur added, only with the carbon dioxide resulting from the malolactic fermentation.

The wines are racked after the malolactic fermentation but then kept on fine lees, with occasional stirring for over two years, before racking again and leaving over at least to further winter to stabilize in a cold cellar.

The bottled wines are kept for 6 to 12 months in the cellar before selling. The Chablis ages for 2 years and the premiers crus from 5 to 8 years.