As I've just finished off my brilliant Sebastien Dampt 13s with a ripping bottle of the"Beugnons," I have come to reflect that no one does these warmer vintages in Chablis better than Dampt. The wines retain what is so essential to them, which is their wonderfully expressive and distinct minerality. Chablis is not Chablis without that seashell/Kimmeridgian minerality and with 2011, 2013 and now 2015, young Sebastien Dampt has started to prove, the only way a winemaker can prove anything, which is with a track record, is that he is a master of keeping Chablis Chablis in these not as classical vintages. I find myself reaching for 11 (all gone), 13 (all gone), 15 (not here yet) more than any type of wine in my cellar. The classical vintages
like 14 and 10 are still not ready and in between you've got all these as the British like to call them,"useful vintages." They are used to drink. Popular amongst restauranteurs and collectors who enjoy having wine cellars and not wine museums. Enter 2015, which is a warmer vintage than '14 and there was also a hailstorm so quantities for certain vineyards are very low. But the quality I tasted in '15 is terrific, albeit in a riper style. It is more like '11 and maybe '13 (which are both drinking insanely great now).
Today I can offer the 2015 Sebastien Dampt 1er Cru "Les Beugnons," for as little as $27.99 on a 4-pack. Les Beugnons is a subsection of Vaillons that is particularly well regarded. Sebastien believes that the concrete egg for elevage is perfect for this particular parcel. Do not doubt this man! He is a very passionate winemaker, yet still soft-spoken except when he talks about his egg. He loves this egg. It is one of the first eggs in Chablis. The only other egg I know of is Thomas Pico at the cult favorite Pattes Loups. Sebastien's wines already have a lean, mineral spine as his 2015 Vaillons can attest to, but with a concrete egg it can achieve more fruit during fermentation and a more opulent mouthfeel. Sebastien pulls it off and this wine is sensational. I don't have much but it is worth it. It has all the richness and tell-tale floral/mineral character of Sebastien's great Vaillons, but this is a warmer section of the vineyard and deemed a great spot by Sebastien, plus his decision to ferment in an egg make this a must buy. It is so great in the forward 2015 vintage (like 2013 except a skoche higher acidity) and there is only a teeny amount (one egg) of it available for the world. The exceptional quality from this very little known 1er Cru within a 1er Cru is one of the most unique wines I have offered at Fass Selections. This is the 3rd vintage and maybe the best yet I have offered. Put in your request and I will allocate accordingly.
Sebastien Dampt Côte de Lechet (2015 today for $24.99 on a 4-pack) in every vintage I've offered is a slam dunk. Enter 2015, which is a warmer vintage than '14 and there was also a hailstorm so quantities for certain vineyards are very low. But the quality I tasted in '15 is terrific. It is more like '11 and maybe '13 (which are both drinking insanely great now). The '15 jumps from the glass and is very expressive with loads of minerals and tons of pure sea shells. The nose for me was very mineral and subtle yet aromatic, if that makes any sense. It has terrific fruit and wonderful freshness and finesse. As a customer who wrote me recently said (I'm paraphrasing here), there are tons of geekier wines, maybe a handful of better wines, but I don't think there is a more satisfying and delicious wine you sell than the Dampt Cote de Lechet. That is what the palate is about here. The purest, freshest, most complex and life affirming mouthful of wine you will have from Fass Selections.
It is one of the best Dampt Lechets I've offered and reminds me more of the '11 than anything, and if anybody has that now please pop a bottle as that is in an amazing spot. I adore the '15. It is terrific wine and will age for 10-15 years I think, but be delicious and accessible in its youth.
I'd have to say this wine is the most universally beloved wine that I sell. Everyone loves it. Everybody buys it. Everybody writes me about how killer a value it is. As his prices have gone up and the Euro has fluctuated I've tried to keep a hard line on the price of this wine. I'm happy to say I've kept the same price as the 14 and 13, but by taking a lower margin. It's important to me that this wine is always, if I can help it, under $25 a bottle. There are not many white wines one can buy for this coin that are this delicious and ageworthy. He blinded me on an '84 his father made that just blew my mind.
Sébastien Dampt is one of the bright young stars in Chablis. His three Premier Crus are all knockouts and he has been producing some wonderful Grand Cru Chablis under the Maison Dampt label. He's also a great guy to work with. 2015 shows his ever evolving skill as a winemaker, given that he made some of the best wines I've tasted from him given some difficult conditions. He has become one of our core producers and it is very easy to see why. Whenever I taste Dampt with anybody they are just blown away by them. The quality price ratio is perhaps the best in Chablis and one of the best at Fass Selections. Sebastien is still relatively young and is getting better every year (he learned from his father, one of my favorite producers, so he was quite good when he started). Allen Meadows at Burghound is also a fan (we're big fans of the longtime leading American Burgundy critic).
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