Here we have a wine that would leap off the page if I encountered it on a wine list—a wine, and a producer, which is at once instantly recognizable, consistently superb, and criminally undervalued. And if you are like me, and prefer your white Burgundy to be loaded with tension and chalky minerality, Chablis is where you want to be if you also crave value.
This really is one of the last bastions of true “cool climate” Chardonnay, and for me, few if any white wines combine palate-coating concentration with a torrential rush of freshness like top-tier Chablis. Caves Jean & Sébastien Dauvissat, now run by Sébastien, has tended to be viewed by label-chasers as the “other” Dauvissat, but there’s no way to justify the yawning price gap between the two—we just need to be quiet and take advantage of it! Today’s deeply moving old-vine (vieilles vignes) bottling from the fabled “Vaillons” Premier Cru is the perfect example: It represents a notable step up in power and intensity from Dauvissat’s regular Vaillons bottling with a negligible difference in price. That’s what these Dauvissats do: Keep upping the value-for-dollar ratio to seemingly impossible levels. Today’s ’16 comes from a choice parcel of 70+-year-old vines in Vaillons, creating a profoundly luscious wine that doesn’t lose any of the chalk-etched minerality we crave. With four years of positive bottle evolution under its belt, the Vaillons Vieilles Vignes is ready to play, but will keep your mouth watering and your mind engaged for many years to come. You will not, I repeat will not, find a better Chablis value anywhere!
Sébastien Dauvissat is the most recent Dauvissat in possession of the little domaine near the hamlet of Chichée. His family has been farming the same parcels of vine since 1899 and vinification still takes place in the tiny caves under the 17th century farmhouse where he lives. Since the untimely passing of his father, Jean, the property has become a one-man show. Sébastien is indeed related to the venerable Vincent Dauvissat, whose wines are the stuff of legend. I’m happy to report that Sébastien inherited the same valuable winemaking gene, but his somewhat quieter dedication to producing letter-perfect Chablis means a proportionally smaller price tag.
The entire domaine has just under 10 hectares of vine, of which the renowned Vaillons Premier Cru accounts for about five. It’s actually a climat comprising a handful of adjoining vineyards—”Minots,” “Chatains,” and “Vaillon,” the namesake—with full southeast exposure. The vieilles vignes (old vines) are found within a distinct 0.7-hectare plot. They’re deeply embedded in that delicious Kimmeridgian limestone that etches unparalleled minerality into the best Chablis. This particular plot benefits from significant flint deposits that warm in the sun and radiate heat onto the grapes, further concentrating their powerful flavors.
Dauvissat takes the tried-and-true middle path between oak and steel for maximum expression of terroir while kindly leaving your tooth enamel intact. The grape juice is pressed directly into neutral barrels for both alcoholic and malolactic fermentations on the raw lees (spent yeast cells), before a second year in stainless steel. Sébastien holds the Vieilles Vignes bottling back for additional bottle aging, so there are already a few years of positive evolution by the time you pull the cork. The result: resoundingly classic Chablis with an extra dose of unctuous texture, plush and focused and electrifying all at once.
I strongly recommend keeping a close eye on the temperature of this bottle. Don’t serve it too cold—55 degrees should be just right. This wine has all the tension of a loaded crossbow; let it soften in decanter for an entire hour (or two, or three, or even overnight!) to blow off some of its extra energy. But once it cracks open, the 2016 Vaillons Vieilles Vignes unleashes a wave of citrus sensations—Meyer lemon, kumquat, and perfumed yuzu. It’s pale lemon-yellow is a bit deceiving for being profoundly rich and fat in the mouth, balanced by higher acidity and structure than the basic Vaillons cuvée. The palate has chiseled mineral firmness padded by a subliminal sweetness. Fresh pineapple, raw pie crust, and heady notes of white truffle build slowly towards a salty, yellow-fruited crescendo. The 2016 is tense and alive and ready to play after a few years of age. Let it melt with bites of raw sea urchin on your tongue with this recipe for uni pasta, and thank your lucky stars you bought more than a single bottle.
