From: Chablis, Burgundy, France
Varietal: Chardonnay
Tasting Notes: This is the Chablis we’ve been waiting for. This wine is all about precision, the balance of tension, and taut, wiry energy. Aromas of lemon blossom, green and yellow apple over stone, and striking oyster shell salinity with distinctly flinty notes lead on the nose. The palate is refined and elegant, with a steely citrusy core. Nervy. The 2022 vintage is lovely and balanced, with more showy fruit than the 2021 vintage, though it should be noted that the fruit isn’t over the top or tropical; it’s spot on and is drinking beautifully.
Pairing: Typically, Chablis pairs best with bright and clean flavored dishes such as oysters, goat cheese, cauliflower soup, smoked trout, white fish dishes, pork tenderloin, grouper, and sushi. Wines from Chablis also create magic alongside dishes like escargots and poulet rôti (French roasted chicken). With that inspiration in mind, we saw a recipe by Kay Chun for Herb-Marinated Swordfish and had to share it with you. It’ll only take about 30 minutes to make, and will yield four servings.
About. As for the name, Dauvissat, well it’s a common one in Chablis. This isn’t *that* Dauvissat, but it isn’t some d-list Stephen to Vincent Dauvissat’s Alec, either. Comprising about 10 hectares of vineyards, carefully chosen for their southern exposures, Agnès and Didier Dauvissat’s farmstead property has attracted its share of critical praise. And yet the wines remain under-the-radar and, as a result, mercifully priced.
The Domaine has 3.5 ha of Petit Chablis, planted on hard Portlandian limestone soils full of marine fossils on the plateau above Fyé; 4.5 hectares of Chablis planted in the villages of Courgis and Fyé, on south-facing slopes which are the southerly continuation of the slope of the Grands Crus; and finally a 2 ha plot or 1er cru Beauroy which is above the lake slightly toward the eastern side of the middle of this Premier Cru, and exposed to the south-west.
Based in the village of Beine, the Domaine was founded in 1986 and is currently run by the second generation, Florent Dauvissat. Florent’s familial connections got him an opportunity to train in the cellars at the far more famous Vincent Dauvissat, as his father, Didier, is Vincent’s cousin. Florent also worked at Copain in Healdsburg, California, and with Frederic Mugnier in Chambolle-Musigny prior to taking the reigns at his family’s estate.
The 2022 Chablis “Les Brèches de Fyé” comes from the family’s plot in the village of Fyé. Agnes & Didier’s Chablis cuvée has always been made from the vines in this plot, but with this vintage they decided to include the name of the specific climat (vineyard) on the label. It aged in stainless steel vats, as is traditional in the region, creating a crisp and mineral-driven style.
