Description
Agnès et Didier Dauvissat, Petit Chablis
The most successful and ubiquitously adored Chablis sellout offer in SommSelect history hasn’t been a famous Grand Cru, an explosive Premier Cru, or a delicious village-level bottling. It was Dauvissat’s 2017 Petit Chablis—by a shockingly wide margin—and that was only topped by the subsequent 2018 release. These thrilling wines have been so distinctly Chablisienne and outrageously affordable, and yet today’s newest 2019 has further raised a price-to-quality bar that I thought was already maxed out.
This indescribably thirst-quenching, classically crafted, and lushly textured Petit Chablis comes from just three hectares of vines, many of which are immediately perched above the hillside that holds all seven Grand Crus. Full of pulverized chalk minerality and rich, tension-filled layers normally found in wines double the price, this is a jaw-dropping achievement. Unfortunately, like the two previous vintages, production hasn’t budged an inch: A mere 500 cases were produced for the entire world—a number that falls terribly short of satisfying the fierce demand for a quintessential, under-$30 white Burgundy. It is only because of our close, long-standing relationship with Dauvissat’s boutique importer that we have enough of today’s scintillating Petit Chablis to offer you. This is the epitome of Chablis, French white wine, and Chardonnay. As of right now, we are the only ones with access. First come, first served!
As for the name, Dauvissat, well, it’s a common one in Chablis. This isn’t *that* Dauvissat (although Didier previously worked for *that* Dauvissat), but they carry the surname with confidence—their wines are downright delicious and far more affordable. Founded in 1987 by Agnès and Didier Dauvissat (now run by their son, Florent), this small estate comprises roughly 25 acres of carefully selected, south-facing vineyards. Due to their limited range of terroir-expressive wines, the Dauvissat’s farmstead property has attracted its share of critical praise, yet the wines remain under-the-radar and, as a result, mercifully priced.
This Petit Chablis is farmed from several older-vine parcels that are split between the western village of Beine and just above the cluster of Chablis’ seven Grand Crus. After grapes are sorted in the vineyard, they undergo both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The wine then ages on its fine lees and in bottle for eight months before release, resulting in a fresh, ultra-precise, high-toned Chardonnay.
I taste a lot of Premier Cru Chablis each year, and it’s astonishing to think that Dauvissat’s 2019 Petit Chablis bests a great number of them. The vintage certainly helps with the allure—it’s rich, fleshy, full of tension—but even without it, this is still an exceptionally clean, beautifully rendered, small-production Chardonnay. After 10 minutes of air, swirling layers of ripe orchard fruit, creamy citrus, and pulverized minerality soar out of a Burgundy stem. This is unequivocally top-notch Chablis that reveals aromas of preserved lemons, green and yellow apples, honeysuckle, green peach, finely crushed chalk, wet rock, white flowers, lees, and candied lime. As usual, this is deeply mouthwatering and medium-bodied but this newest 2019 flaunts an added layer of richness and breadth on the mid-palate. As I tracked this over an evening, each layer kept expanding and further mineral nuances were revealed. Even better, I think this release has a star-bright future: Drink a few now and hold your others for consumption over the next 3-4 years and they will evolve into a deeply savory Chardonnay à la Premier Cru Chablis. For food, I suggest ordering in a colorful variety of fresh, high-quality sashimi and/or nigiri. Cheers!
