About
Domaine Vincent Dauvissat
Domaine Vincent Dauvissat is considered the one of the finest domaine in Chablis, Burgundy. The 11 hectares are farmed by sustainable, organic and biodynamic principles; however, they are not certified yet. Etiennette Dauvissat and Ghislain Dauvissat are the winemakers at the domaine.
The style of the domaine's wines may be described as fresh, with fine mineral content and ageing potential.
The top wines of the domaine are: Chablis Grand Cru Preuses, Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos, and Chablis Premier Cru Forest.
The Chablis Grand Cru Preuses 1989 scored 98, the Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2019 scored 97+, and the Chablis Premier Cru Forest 1996 scored 96+ by the Wine Advocate.
Tasting Chablis Grand Cru Preuses 1989, Robert Parker said: "From a bottle that had never left the village, Dauvissat's 1989 Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses is extraordinary, blossoming in the glass with notes of buttered lemon, confit orange, oatmeal, dried white flowers, beeswax and warm straw. Full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, it's a layered, textural wine that's elegantly muscular, marrying a ripe and concentrated expression of fruit with a powerful mineral undertow. Long and saline, this is one of the finest mature Chablis that I have tasted."
History
The winemakers of Domaine Vincent Dauvissat are Etiennette Dauvissat and her brother, Ghislain Dauvissat.
Robert Dauvissat founded the domaine in the 1920s, although its wine reputation was established by his son, René Dauvissat, who managed the domaine for many years. Vincent Dauvissat started working with his father, René Dauvissat, in 1976. Vincent Dauvissat once forsook a career as a shepherd to become one of France's most celebrated vignerons. Technically retired, but Vincent Dauvissat actively participates in the life of the domaine helping his children, Etiennette Dauvissat and Ghislain Dauvissat.
Approach
Biodynamic since 2002
Domaine Vincent Dauvissat is farmed according to sustainable, organic and biodynamic principles but without certification yet. Etiennette Dauvissat and Ghislain Dauvissat manage the vineyards with much respect to the terroir. The 11 hectares of vineyards are split between two Grands Crus and three Premiers Crus sites.
Winemaking has not changed much throughout the years. The harvest is done manually. The wines are fermented in tanks before racking to barrel with the lees and kept in barrels for another year before bottling. The new wood is used just to replace casks that are no longer sound. About half the barrels in the cellar are 132-litre feuillettes. Now, this is probably the only domaine continuing the local tradition on any scale - making a classic style of Chablis that remains extremely rare despite the region's undoubted revival.
The feuillette is particularly useful for the Petit Chablis, which has a shorter cycle in cask and for such soils as Séchet, which are firmly calcareous and respond better to the extra aeration the small cask offers.
Despite limited quantities, the wines have attracted the praise and attention of critics worldwide.