Sébastien Dauvissat’s family has been farming the same small collection of parcels near the hamlet of Chichée since the 1800’s. This small “one man show” produces 2-3,000 cases each year in the modest cellar underneath Sebastien’s house. As with all top sites in Chablis, Kimmeridgian limestone is the dominant soil type here - but there is also some clay and gravel contributing a unique character to the wines. Despite the domaine’s modest size, the family has holdings in some outstanding crus: Les Suchots 1er Cru, Montmains 1er Cru, Les Preuses Grand Cru - and my favorite, Vaillons 1er Cru. The old vines section of this parcel is approaching 70 years of age, and in the right vintages - today’s 2007 being a favorite recent example - it produces near perfect wines.  Juice for this cuvée is pressed directly into barrel for fermentation and then racked into a mix of old new barriques for extended aging before bottling and release.

The 2007 Jean & Sébastien Dauvissat Vaillons 1er Cru “Vieilles Vignes” is bright and golden in the center of the glass transitioning to near translucence at the rim. On the palate, it offers dense crushed stone with citrus and green apple acidity before resolving in a lengthy, soft, and almost imperceptibly honeyed finish. There is incredible focus to the fruit and architecture of the wine. Its true majesty, however, is its aromatics: behind a classically austere mineral core lie white truffles, orange oil, and vanilla bean. In order to enjoy this wine in its optimal state, I recommend decanting it 1-3 hours or more before consumption, and serving it in a large Burgundy stem at 55 degrees. Most importantly, I advise drinking it slowly. This is a fascinating chameleon of a wine that will evolve dramatically as you drink it. Enjoy!