2011 Chablis

Vincent Dauvissat's 2011 Chablis combines the piquancy of lime rind and toasted nuts with nips of fresh ginger and smoky, fusil crushed stone for an invigorating aromatic and palate performance. A hint of iris adds allure, and tincture of iodine intrigue. This finishes with impressive persistence, if perhaps not quite the degree of clarity, lift, refreshment, or complex distinction of its Petit Chablis counterpart. Plan to enjoy it through 2015. Vincent Dauvissat emphasizes the positive roll of rain in September, 2012: "it permitted fruit maturation to continue, and ameliorated acidity." The most vexing parts of the vintage, as he perceives it, were frost and mildew, and he has the low yields to show for the battle with them. Poor flowering, he acknowledges, had its positive sides in engendering loose, rot-resistant clusters and helping to insure that even in those vineyards not frosted, the crop was able to thoroughly ripen. Dauvissat was quick to point out that when it came to his two grand crus, 2011 represented another short crop, because those sites bloomed during a period of perturbing weather; whereas conditions turned favorable in the week that followed, in time for flowering in his premier cru and village-level sites. Harvest dates here were pretty typical: the first half of September in 2011, and the last week of September and first few days of October in 2012. Finished alcohols in 2012 range from 12.5%-13%; and a half a degree lower in 2011. Like me, Vincent Dauvissat thinks that many observers are misled by the youthfully generous and lightweight character of the 2011s into a false belief that they won't be worth cellaring. (That being noted, I hasten to add - chastised by prematurely oxidized bottles, including even a few from his hand - that my notion of felicitous aging involves a shorter temporal horizon than his.) Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802 (Under the -Dauvissat-Camus- label, certain of these wines are also imported by Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel. (781) 352 1100.)

All of the Dauvissat signatures can be found in the 2011 Chablis, a wine that stands out for its beautiful, pointed personality. Citrus, pear, white flowers and crushed rocks meld together beautifully in this expressive, entry-level Chablis. This is another impressive wine that won't break the bank.

Pale bright straw. Reticent nose hints at lemon, minerals and menthol. Dense, supple and rich; manages to be both thick in texture and incisive at the same time. In fact, this boasts remarkable palate presence for a chardonnay with just 12.5% alcohol. Finishes pure and long, with very good mineral-driven energy.