2008 Jean Dauvissat Père et Fils Chablis Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru
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Tasting notes
Sebastien Dauvissat’s 2008 Chablis Vaillons Vieilles Vignes (specifically from the cru Chatains) had been assembled in tank when I tasted it in April, a portion having stayed out of barrel entirely, following the usual procedure for this cuvee. Here we have cut, vivacity, and refreshment allied to rich ripeness, with grapefruit, white currant, and a touch of rhubarb complimenting peach and nut oils. Hints of chalk dust, iodine, and white truffle as well as sweetly perfumed evocations of honeysuckle and heliotrope lend truly seductive allure to a cru that should be worth following for a dozen or more years. Sebastien Dauvissat was characteristically not planning on bottling any of his crus before mid-summer. But among the most striking features of this domaine is the tendency for wines to be released only after a year or more in bottle. Readers will note that I am more generous in my prognostications of age-worthiness for the wines of this estate than for most others. This reflects not just the nature but also the frequency of my tastings of back vintages in the cellars of this avowed fan of mature Chablis. Imported by Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990
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Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(tasted from cuve Ripe aromas of honey and smoky oak, plus a whiff of licorice. Sweet and supple but powerful, with strong but integrated acidity providing shape and support. Plenty of smoky oak ultimately gives the finish a slightly dry edge. Not a hard wine, but not my favorite style. Sweet and supple but powerful, with strong but integrated acidity providing shape and support. Plenty of smoky oak ultimately gives the finish a slightly dry edge. Not a hard wine, but not my favorite style. This might have benefited from an earlier bottling.
(part cuve and part barriques Spicy aromas of peach, marzipan and vanilla; shows a distinctly oily oak character. Sweet and lush following the precise Sechet, with the spicy, vanillin oak element leavened by lemony acidity. In a rather fat style for a wine from this producer. I find this almost overripe-and I much prefer the 2007 today.