Grown Men and Women Will Cry They Didn't Buy More - Under $40 1er Cru Chablis - Can Compete with Anyone in Chablis - Fabien Dauvissat

Fabien Dauvissat
 - 5 Years into Our Relationship, The Consistency Is Incredible
 - His Best Wines in Good Years Are in a Top Cote d'Or Bracket 

2018 Is an Utterly Classic Vintage in Chablis
 - Big Mineral and Acids
 - The Structure to Age
 - Classic Nervy Fruit
 - A Vintage to Age

2018 Jean Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru "Fourchaume"
 - The Apogee of His Unique Style
 - Nose: Seashells, Minerality, Lime Blossom, Hint of Gras
 - Intense Fruit, Psychotic Depth 
 - Absurdly Concentrated and Juicy 
 - One Sip Lasts Minutes
 - One of My Favorite Chablis Bottlings Bar None (and I Mean None)
 - A Shame not to Buy This Wine at $39.99
 - I Have Wiggle Room on My Normally Meagre Allocation
 - His Best Wine, Great Vintage, Underpriced by a Mile, Ageworthy
 - A Wine to Cellar a Lot of - Like Buying Ravenau for $15 Decades Ago

As I do before every E-Mail, I reviewed my tasting notes on the producer.  And I realized that by comparing him to the best producers in Chablis, I was doing Fabien a disservice.  What's amazing about reading these notes is that year in and year out, every single bottling from bottom to top has been at least very good.  And the best have been best of class in Chablis.  Fabien's style is to get that extra bit of density and concentration out of his wines.  They all drink like a level up (a village drinks like a 1er cru, etc.).  The density and complexity are so profound that these wines can compete with top tier white wine producers in the Cote d'Or.  They obviously have that Chablisien character but the quality of the good wines in good years is on a par with some well known names in the Cote d'Or.  And today, I'm offering arguably his best wine in a fantastic year.

One final note.  Obviously, these are awful times.  The wine market in France is in a bit of a state of chaos which is terrible.  I am normally severely allocated on this wine because of its quality and reputation.  This year, I think that I have some wiggle room to get more than the usual paltry allocation.  So if you want to stock up on what is a ridiculous value in a great year, please request what you want and I'll see what I can do.


The 2018 Vintage
By now you have all heard buy as much 2018 Chablis as you can get your hands on. It is the best vintage since 2014.  It is a return to the classics. Stern minerality, big acids, intense structures and wonderful nervy fruit. The 18's here are transcendental wines and they have it all. Acid, mineral, Kimmeridgian love, tension for days and super beautiful purity. And more acid. The texture and intensity of the 18.s is remarkable, tangy Chablis fruit as well. Green apple skins for days. Huge depth.

Fabien's 2018s are like his 2014s crossed with his 2016s. Rich fruit of 2016, and the playful acidity of 2014, not quite as in your face but a brilliant juxtaposition to the intense fruit and minerality nonetheless.

Fabien Is Now (Officically) the Hottest Young Producer in Chablis
These will not be bottled until mid April but these wines are a "thing" in France and other areas of

Europe (we are always behind over here in the USA) and they sell out quickly and since he has been anointed by Stephen Tanzer and Vinous the urgency is intense. The wines now are strictly allocated as he sells every bottle before they are even bottled. They were all spoken for almost as they were released. You cannot believe how hot he he is over in France.  He's been a top 5 Chablis producer (if not top 3) for 3 years and his wines are ridiculously underpriced as everyone on the list who has tried them knows.  It's good for Fabien, and lord knows he deserves it as he works his butt off.  But our little secret is out.

These Wines Are Incredibly Ageworthy
The 2014 Fourchaume is now absolutely thrilling drinking as is the straight Chablis AC in 2014. Small term aging on these two wines has unreal ROI. They change so much in 3-4 years. Compelling. The textures get even better and the nose gets more detailed and nuanced. Now, the prices. It is hilarious to me how cheap these wines are. 

The Wines
These can go toe to toe with about anybody in my opinion. Yes even those two estates. Remember Fabien has no Grand Cru wines and I go back and forth on which wine is his true Grand Cru. In 2018 I think his best wine is the 1er Cru I'm selling today

Today I have what is Fabien's so called Grand Cru, his 2018 Jean Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru "Fourchaume" for as little as $37.99 on a 4-pack.  This is one of my favorite Chablis bottlings from any producer in any vineyard - an absolutely insane bottle of wine.  It is brilliant and so different than his stunning Montmains. It for me, has a roundness to it that is its trademark but also on a bed of minerality that is intermingled throughout.  So clean and pure. Seashells, minerality, lime blossom, hint of gras abound from the nose. Lime rock quarry and so kimmeridgian, lovely purity. 

Palate is ripe and rich with lovely purity and freshness and such laser like precision. What a finish. Does not quit and pulverizes your palate with wet stones, lime blossom and limestone. Grilled apple skins. Palate is bright and lively with clean and classic minerality and a chewy texture. Very very clean so linear. Great wine.  Stunning and many years to go. And of course what would this wine be without acid. It is absurdly concentrated and juicy that one sip lasts minutes. Wait out each sip and this becomes a peak experience. But you'll take plenty of sips before those minutes are up. It is just absurdly complex, ripe yet soothingly mineral with terrific, engaging and salty acids. It is compact and so long.  That mineral drive is extremely apparent and vivid in this wine in 2018. There is terrific fruit in this with green apple, spice and even a hint of smokiness. The complexity of the Fourchaume from Fabien in 2018 is breathtaking. 

Wines with this level of concentration and palate and emotional impact can only be made by absolute masters.  When I say they are works of art, I don't mean to hang the bottle on the wall.  I mean that Fabien's approach and style have created a wine that is like nothing I've ever tasted.  He is up there in terms of pure talent with the great winemakers of Europe.  It's just a shame not to buy these at these prices.  They won't last for long now.


This, like the other 1er Crus are still in barrel and waiting to be bottled in a couple of weeks. That extra elevage that Fabian does gives these wines an extra dimension. Fuller bodied with compelling mineral drive. Fourchaume has earned its reputation as one of the best 1er Cru sites in Chablis and with good reason. The slope it lies on is in the same progression as the Grand Crus. It has ideal southwest exposure which enables it to be one of the top wines in Chablis.

2018 Jean Dauvissat Pere & Fils Chablis 1er Cru "Fourchaume" - $39.99 ($151.96 4-pack) (LIMITED) (*Including Tariff of $3.99)