Fabien Dauvissat the Next Big Thing in Chablis (Very Important)

The Most Exciting Young Producer in Chablis
Fabien Goes the Extra Mile ... and it Shows in the Depth and Length of These Wines
Stunning 2014 Vintage in Chablis

When you taste a young winemaker for the first time, you can just tell that they have "it."  A certain

style and approach that will make them great.  I've been ahead of the curve on a ton of producers (Murat, Chavy-Chouet, Mullen, Cruchandeau, etc.) that have since been recognized and Dauvissat is the next one.  Get these wines while the getting (and price) is good.   These wines will age for many years and 2014 is fantastic, classic vintage in Chablis.

I am absolutely giddy about this offering. I have been writing this offering in my head since I got allocations confirmed on these wines as I was arranging the pickup of their basic Chablis for delivery this spring. That is of our new budding star estate in Chablis, Jean Dauvissat & Fils, made by the incredibly talented Fabien Dauvissat. His elevage is extra long and the wines in today's offer will be bottled this March. The two wines today spend 18-20 months in barrel before they are bottled. There is a resultant depth that makes these wines so desirable. The purity is just outstanding on these wines. Really you've got to taste how pure they are and the fine pitch perfect minerality combined with that purity is something else.

Up first is the 2014 Jean Dauvissat & Fils Chablis "Heritage" for as little as $22.99 a bottle on the 4-pack. This has the same elevage as the wonderful 1er Crus and is a selection of vines planted in the 40's and 50's. Simply put, the wine is amazing.  In the psycho value category. Very, very floral nose with intense minerality and big step up over the regular Chablis AC.  This has splendid density and length. So pure. Serious vigor and minerality to burn. This has tremendous sap and  energy that showcase how beautiful this vintage is. I think this will age for 5-10 years but is so appealing in its precocious youth. This will be allocated.

Next up I have the wonderful and epic 2014 Jean Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru "Côte de Lechet" for as little as $29.99 on a bottle per 4-pack. It's hard to describe how beautiful  and complex this wine is. But I'll try. It has a super fine and very mineral nose. Fat, but at the same time filigreed. Really delicate also with lots of delicacy on the nose  and also some compelling and vivid herbal aromas develop after some slight coaxing in the glass. It is a dense nose that really starts to jazzercise at the 2 hour mark. This has a huge core and has power and concentration to burn but remains transparent and lithe. Really, the beauty of this Lechet is not something one comes across every day. It is special in every way. Long with super complex flavors and finessed with a profile more similar to Grand Cru Chablis. This is one of my favorite wines of the the vintage. This will be allocated as well.

As I have said in other e-mails my recent trip to Chablis was my "a ha" moment and I truly got the magic of he region and the surrounding regions. The lay of the land, the food, the wine, the history all made sense after completely immersing myself in the region for five days. My mission was and always is to find new and undiscovered talent. But how is that possible in a region as famous as Chablis? It's been picked over more than the list at Manducati's. You need to talk to people. That is the key. So I went to the new hot restaurant in town and had a fantastic meal there. I made friends with the owner who happened to be from Irancy, where I work with Thierry Richoux, who he knew of course, as Thierry is the Mayor of Irancy.

As I was leaving I made a reservation for the next night as I had to go back and try the tasting menu. But I also wanted to chat up Thierry (not Thierry Richoux, but the owner of the restaurant who also happened to be named Thierry), about who was the hot, young and up and coming producer in Chablis. He quickly grabbed me a bottle and with amazing certainty, said this is the guy. This was the newest and hottest up and comer and the top restaurant in Chablis recommended it. The bottle was stunning that night, but I confess, it was at the end of a tasting menu and after many bottles consumed, so I took 3/4 of the bottle back to my hotel. Boy am I glad I did. The next day, this 1er Cru was showing incredibly well. Density, lightness, length, dazzling purity, richness and minerality in spades. I was beyond blown away. I had to meet the man who made this wine.


So I called the estate and managed to get an appointment. Okay, okay. So what is this Estate called? Jean Dauvissat Pere & File made by the young turk, Fabien Dauvissat. Fabien took over in 2010 as before his grandfather, Jean Dauvissat, was selling off the grapes in bulk. Fabien was skiing when I visited but I met his grand-father and the lovely Belgian woman who is the export manager. She guided me through a tasting of 12's and 13's and the took me to the cellar to taste the very early 14's. All I can say is this serendipitous series of events led to me being able to proudly represent Fabien Dauvissat. For those of you wondering the estate Jean Dauvissat and Fabien are NOT related to the two more famous Dauvissat's in the USA already. But it is nice to be bringing in a Dauvissat to the USA for the first time. I won't lie.

2014 Jean Dauvissat (Fabien Dauvissat) Pere & Fils Chablis "Heritage" - $24.99 ($91.96 4-pack) 

2014 Jean Dauvissat (Fabien Dauvissat) Pere & Fils Chablis 1er Cru "Cote de Lechet" - $31.99 ($119.96 4-pack)