Tasted in Beine with Florent Dauvissat, 18 January 2023.
Domaine Agnes et Didier Dauvissat
Chemin de Beauroy
89800 Beine
Tel: + 33 3 86 42 46 40
www.domainedauvissat.fr
More reports with Domaine Agnès et Didier Dauvissat
Florent on 2022:
“The harvest went well we think about the dryness still despite the rain of the last weeks – it started with a soft winter and then was frost again – some parcels had losses up to 20% but the summer went well and was dry, because of that I was concerned that there might be a lack of juice but in the end that wasn’t the case. The small losses due to the frost were offset by good volumes elsewhere – I think we have nice balance, a bit less acidity than 21 – but the malos have all finished without a problem – the wines are in elevage still but I could already make a small bottling.”
Florent on 2021:
“21 was the worst for volume that we can remember. 2016 wasn’t too bad for us. Of course, in 2021 we had the frost – pinot noir and crémant areas were 100% lost. Petit Chablis were between 60 and 80% lost depending on the sector. Then came lots of rain so not a great surprise that we had strong pressure from oïdium. Obviously a later harvest than the vintages on either side and even with some rain at harvest time – but the degrees were not bad. We have wines that are direct, clean and pure with good acidity – I think them real Chablis – the 22s currently seem soft in comparison – it’s a shame that we only have a third of a normal volume – ignoring the total loss of the red. All the bottlings are completed one in March and the last one in August, and practically everything is sold. In 21 there were no bulk sales to the maisons so we actually bottled a little more than in 2020. We have the impression that the move to commercialisation went so fast that we hardly had the time to taste the wines and now they are nearly all gone!”
The wines…
Always a worthy address – it is also the case in 2021…
Corks for the 1er crus, DIAM equivalents for PC and Chablis – non-oaked. ‘The lower price of the synthetics have allowed us to spend more on higher-quality corks for the other wines.’
2021 Petit Chablis Les Deux Terres
An assembly of parcels, on either side of the plateau of Beines, near Vauligneau and above the grand crus..
Some weight of aroma, a little round but inviting. Pure, lots of clarity and minerality the citrus slowly rising from the base of this wine. Fine full citrus finishing – this will improve if you can give it some time – I’d suggest another 1-2 years and it will be very good.
2021 Chablis Les Brêches de Fyé
5.5 ha of Chablis in total – this representing 3 of those hectares in Fyé, almost a continuation of Blanchots, just below the plateau of Petit Chablis – the lieu-dit is Les Brechins, this name pre-dates that.
Broader, growing from a sweet core of aroma. Fuller in the mouth but still a mineral wine, pure and very nicely textured. Really broad in the finish – here it’s totally excellent wine – again give a little time in the cellar to broaden the expression.
2021 Chablis 1er Beauroy
2 hectares of vines in a single parcel in Côte de Savant. Pruned at the end of March but not protected by candles – and they made 75% of their normal yields… This with cork (Trescasses) the previous with DIAM.
A more open and airy freshness. There’s more richness here but broad flavours too – growing in intensity and some salinity – always with a small floral accent. That’s a very good wine and the ‘readiest’ of these so far.
And for the road? There are still some commercial wines of older vintages here:
2017 Chablis Les Petits Vignerons
“Yes, the youth of this reminds me why I put some of this stock to one side for later commercialising.”
Fine depth with some lime-citrus here – a broader, faintly spiced complexity above. A tiny bubble of gas then a more direct but well-concentrated line of flavour – citrus-mineral about equal of each. Intense and long finishing – you can keep this, in fact I would for 2 years more. That’s a very fine Chablis.
2020 Chablis Fut de Chêne
500-litre barrels account for a third of the elevage – vines in Courgis
Here is a rounder, almost silky, nose – not obviously oaked. Open, some savouriness of the barrel, great texture and plenty of material – nothing green today but the oak is quite visible as you head to the finish. Broad and satisfyingy long!
2019 Chablis Fut de Chêne
A sweeter width of aroma – the barrel slightly more visible. Ooh – that’s clean, pure wine – almost crystalline minerality and citrus – much more impressive than the 20202 today. The last flavours opening out beautifully with lots of complex small intensities – that’s a simply excellent finish. Lovely wine!