The only thing “petite” about Agnès et Didier Dauvissat’s Petit Chablis is the price. If you’re all about minerality, precision, and typicity in your wine, you won't find a greater price-to-quality Chardonnay than this.
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 25-year-old 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 12 months before release, resulting in a fresh, ultra-precise, high-toned Chardonnay.
