Domaine Jaeger-Defaix

Domaine Jaeger-Defaix is a small, prestigious 12-hectare estate in the heart of Burgundy, primarily located in the villages of Chablis and Rully (Côte Chalonnaise), making it one of the rare producers with holdings in both northern and southern white-Burgundy appellations.

Founded in 2003 by Hélène Jaeger-Defaix (née Defaix), the domaine traces its roots to the historic Defaix family of Chablis. Hélène, a member of the renowned Bernard Defaix winemaking clan, married Didier Defaix (no relation) and later took the Jaeger name through marriage into the Jaeger family of Alsace. When her great-aunt Monique Thomas, the last direct Defaix heir in Rully, decided to retire, she passed the ancient family vineyards in Rully—some dating back to the 16th century—to Hélène rather than sell them outside the family. Hélène created Domaine Jaeger-Defaix to manage these Rully vines separately from her husband’s Chablis estate (Domaine Bernard Defaix).

The Rully holdings (≈5 ha) include premier cru sites such as Rabourcé, Preaux, and the monopole Clos du Chapitre. In Chablis, the domaine farms ≈7 ha of premier cru Vaillons, Les Lys, and Montée de Tonnerre, all worked organically since 2012 (certified since 2020).

Wines are classic, precise, and age-worthy: steely, mineral-driven Chablis and elegantly textured Rully whites (100% Chardonnay), plus small amounts of refined, red-fruited Rully 1er Cru Pinot Noir. Total production remains tiny (≈50,000 bottles). The domaine is today run by Hélène and Didier Defaix from Milly in Chablis, preserving two centuries of family tradition across two of Burgundy’s finest terroirs for white wine.

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