On Jello Molds, Big Hair, Bud Break, Late Frost and Chablis Pricing

 Chablis Prices Are Way, Way Up!

 - Late Frost Is Killing Production

 - Prices Are Up 50%

The Chablis You Want to Stock up on

 - Classic Chablis Character

 - But Densely Fruited 

 - Everybody Loves Sebastien Dampt

 - Direct from the Winery Pricing

2020 Vintage

 - Crackling Acidity and Freshness

 - Early Harvest and Classic Vintage

 - Terrific Depth and Fruit Character

 - Will Drink Well Young

2020 Sebastien Dampt Chablis 1er Cru "Vaillons"

 - More Refined than the Lechet

 - Perfumed, Deep Nose of Classic Oyster Shell

 - Green Apple Skin

 - Palate: Round. Smokey, Saline, Refined

 - Terrific Saltiness

 - Rich, But "Rocky Rich" - Well Integrated Density

 - A Hint of Deep Apricots

 - Extraordinary Balance

 - Very Good Amplitude and Length

 - A Coiled Density - this Will Improve with Age

 - 91 Points Burghound (2019) for $30.99. That's a Fire Deal!

Late Frost, Tariffs, Jello Molds and Classic Chablis Pricing

Drouhin Vaillons (2020) $59

Christian Moreau Vaillons (2019) $55-$60

William Fevre Vaillons (2019) $53

I'm not sure if you have been paying attention but the old days of high quality 1er Cru Chablis in the $30s at your standard retail store are over. Over like the big 80s hair and Jello molds of our childhood.

First, the weak dollar and tariffs caused prices to increase. And then, when tariffs went away, we were in the thick of the "late frost" catastrophe. A brief bit of science. The vines have this complex and pretty cool mechanism for determining when they can signal the start of the growing process in the spring. At some point after the vines evolutionary mechanism determines that frost is very unlikely, we have what is known as "bud break." And evolution has worked pretty well.

Alas, climate change has created a greater variation in temperatures than the vines are able to handle. So in many years, we have bud break followed by a late frost. When the buds are exposed to a late frost, most of them die and you get much fewer grapes from the vineyard that year. Which is a real problem for the winemakers. Alas, it's also a real problem for consumers because of the whole econ 101 thing.

To sum it up:

1) Supply down.

2) Demand stable.

3) Prices increase.... A lot.

My point is that Chablis prices have increased. And, barring some technological fix to delay bud break, this is a semi permanent problem.

Fortunately, I have today an amazing 1er Cru at pre bud break, pre tariff, Jello mold/big hair era pricing.

If you like traditional Chablis, I suggest that you buy a lot of it.

The 2020 Vintage at Dampt

2020 is a new classic vintage but we need to talk about new classic vintages in Burgundy for a minute. When it comes to Chablis they really are learning how to do it. 2003 we can all admit was a disaster. 2005 was very good for a warmer vintage and 2006 was much better than 2003. 2009 was good not great and better than 2003 by a mile. 2011 was great for a warmer vintage and 2015 I think is the most successful warm vintage ever. Then 2018 surpassed it. And now we have 2020, which in my opinion surpasses 2018 and is a brilliant "new classic" vintage even though it has more acidity then other "new classic" vintages. Why are they getting better at dealing with warmer vintages in Chablis? Because there are a heck of a lot of them. But 2020 at Dampt is a benchmark. Similar to 2019 and 2017.

In 2020 Sebastien Dampt made some of the densest, most spectacular, longest aging wines of his career. They all have decades ahead of them. This is the second vintage of Dampt (2017) where I would recommend aging all the wines for at least 3-4 years before one digs in. They are so dense, so fresh and so packed with material that patience will be rewarded. But my god are they impressive. 

The Wine

Up today I have what many critics think of as Sebastian's best wine. While I have a soft spot for the Lechet I do have to say the Vaillons might be a better wine just because of pure geography. Location. Location. It's everything in Chablis and this is Vaillons which is a better site than Lechet at the end of the day. The 2020 Sebastien Dampt Chablis 1er Cru "Vaillons" is $30.99 a bottle on a 4-Pack today. It's an incredible bottle of Vaillons. What a killer Vaillons. This is an insane wine and is the best young Vaillons since the epic duo of 2014 and 2017 and this comes close. 

Perfumed, deep nose of classic oyster shell, some nice green apple fruit and Meyer lemon. You can tell this is less the wild child of Lechet wine has more of a refined air about it. It also smells deeper and richer as Vaillons always is. It's super perfumed and just has more depth but less in your face oyster than the Lechet. More round. Smokey, saline, refined and even some apple butter. Some green apple skin. Great aromas. So refined and clean. Almost feels like there is so much more, which there is. 

Palate is so epic and deep with grace, depth and refinement. Balance is extraordinary. So juicy and serene with a sweetness and oyster juice brine quality that is more Kumamoto this time. More of a briney sweetness. More west coast oyster than east coast. So pure, resonant and long. What a great vintage 2020 is. 

"This could be from nowhere else but Chablis with its cool and slightly peppery nose of mineral reduction, iodine and lovely floral-inflected aromas. There is fine intensity and impressive volume to the well-detailed, intense and beautifully persistent finish that is at once refreshing and well-balanced. This too is worth considering. " - 91 Points, Burghound (2019)

2020 Sebastien Dampt Chablis 1er Cru "Vaillons" - $32.99

($123.96 4-Pack) (VERY LIMITED)