Tasted in Milly with Leslie Vanderdonk, 24 January 2022.
Domaine Jean Dauvissat Père & Fils
11 et 13 rue de Léchet
89800 Milly
Tel: +33 3 86 42 12 23
www.chablis-dauvissat.com
More reports with Domaine Jean Dauvissat
Leslie on 2021 and 2020:
“In 2021 we had 30-35 hl/ha – so there can be no complaints here.
2020 actually brought not that much more volume than in 2021 – 40 hl/ha – we had plenty of grapes and it was a record early start – 28 August – it’s just that there wasn’t a lot of juice in those grapes. We did lose a little to the frost but really it was the dryness that made the difference.”
The wines…
Apart from a couple of rather oaky wines, a simply great range – if you can find some!
Elevage here – there’s nothing systematic – sometimes stainless, sometimes large-format barrels, now some ‘ceramic barrels’ too but it’s often a blend:
2020 Petit Chablis
A small parcel of 0.16 ha, making a little over 1,000 bottles from the plateau of Chapelle la Vaupelteigne – the domaine’s smallest cuvée. Now with a new wax seal. Still 12 months elevage – but all the others now have at least 18 that’s why this is the only bottled wine.
Compact but admirably saline and fresh. Nice mouth-filling shape but also with fine definition and lots of salinity. Slowly fading. This is very good – it just needs to add a bit of focus to be excellent!
Filtered today – will be bottle mid-Feb
Les broad but with more clarity and focus to this nose. More intense, more mouth-watering – really beautifully textured and growing in mouth-filling style. That could be a great one – lovely, classy agrume fruit complexity and minerals!
Now Fabien is upping his individual parcels ‘game:’
2020 Chablis Mont-main Saurdelles
A parcel in Beine – 50% barrel and steel… to be bottled in March – not yet filtered.
A stronger oak accent. Extra vibrant – ook that’s a great shape, texture and intensity – great – except that the oak is very strong today – I wouldn’t touch one for 2 years, possibly longer. Really long!
Near the road so not in 1er aoc – it’s just the first few rows that are Chablis then all are 1er… This also 50% oaked
More freshness and salinity – you don’t note oak – at least not following the last. Extra mouth-filling, vibrant and mineral. Love – this is only modestly oaked. Delicious and possibly great Chablis…
The following wines to be bottled from September:
1940-1950 vines from 3 parcels – this will have 24 months elevage
Wide and beautifully mineral – a super floral accent too. A noble reduction, vibrant, quite mineral but never austere – that’s just a classy, classic Chablis – bravo!
The Chablis Cuvée Claire is no-more:
2020 Chablis 1er Côte de Léchet
2 ha, 1.5 really in the centre. Still one parcel is missing – they are waiting for 8-years before they replant.
This nose is more compact and tight. A little gas but this is gorgeously pure and mineral – it’s alive too. A faint austerity to this zesty structure – but only a baby-step more than the Heritage. I expect this could be great too – it’s so juicy – but the nose will need to open first!
One 0.83 hectare parcel in Chatains.
Much more open, perhaps less focused but with fine energy. Oh yes! Incisive, impactful, waves of impressive flavour – no discussion – despite the nose needing more focus, this is a great wine!
2020 Chablis 1er Montmains
One 0.75 hectare parcel in real Montmains. ‘Usually, our last parcel to be harvested – it’s the marnes, it’s a cold place.’ 33% barrel elevage in this particular sample.
Good width, airy above. Here is fresh density growing with intensity too. I love the middle flavour intensity, the flavour slowly fading in the extra concentrated finish. I expect an excellent wine…
This, all tank
Not fully open but there’s an attractive noble reduction to this. Yes, reductive but energy and mobile flavour – quite fluid in mouth-watering style. Ditch the reduction and you will have the potential for great wine
Didn’t have enough for all the customers – only a couple of barrels worth – so all is sold in Chablis – 2 caveau and 2 restaurants…
This has a good slug of oak on the nose – though less than the previous Chablis. Gorgeous in the mouth though – it’s top 2020 – so fluid so mobile, so mouth-watering that it’s almost juicy.