2020 Chablis, Les Preuses, Grand Cru, Vincent Dauvissat, Burgundy
Critics reviews
A little more to the colour, oily and saline at the same time. Perhaps yellower fruit. Delicious body, and actually more harmonious on the palate than the nose suggested. More white fruit in the end than yellow, and with a wonderful weight!
Drink 2028 - 2040
Jasper Morris MW, InsideBurgundy.com (June 2022)
From a 1 ha parcel planted in 1970 though as noted in the introduction, the surface area will decrease to .70 ha effective with the 2021 vintage.
A gorgeously elegant and wafting nose is perhaps the purest of the entire range with its essence of lightly smoky mineral reduction, oyster shell, quinine and spicy poached pear wisps. The texture of the stony middleweight flavours immediately reminds one of just how classy Preuses is when it's 'on' and this was on with its caressing mouthfeel that is refined to the point of finesse, yet the finish is vibrant, detailed and hugely long. This has the potential to be one of the wines of the vintage. In sum, this beauty is strikingly good with the potential to match.
Drink from 2032 onward
Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (October 2022)
The 2020 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru has a mineral-driven bouquet that is very flinty and linear at the moment. The palate is well-balanced, powerful, and deep, turning very spicy on the mid-palate and delivering a crescendo of flavours toward the finish. Yet, something about this Les Preuses says it’s holding back much of what it has to offer. Be patient.
Drink 2028 - 2048
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (October 2021)
Offering up aromas of orange oil, white peach, jasmine, oyster shell, wet stones and struck flint, the 2020 Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses is full-bodied, ample and layered, with terrific concentration, racy acids and a long, intensely mineral finish. As ever, this wine is more floral-mineral than it is fruity, standing out for its ethereal personality in contradistinction with the blockier, more muscular Les Clos.
Drink 2027 - 2055
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (July 2022)
About this WINE
Vincent Dauvissat
Domaine René et Vincent Dauvissat is arguably the finest domaine in Chablis and its place at the top of the Chablis hierarchy is rivalled only by Domaine Raveneau. Robert Dauvissat established it in the 1920s, although its reputation was established by his son René who managed the domaine for many years. Vincent started working with his father in 1976 and has run the domaine for the last 5 years.
There are 11 hectares of vineyards split between two Grands Crus and three Premiers Crus sites. Yields are tightly restricted and in the winery the vinification and maturation is painstaking and meticulous. The grapes are fermented in enamel tanks and the juice remains in tank for a year before being transferred to oak barrels, a small percentage of which are new. The wines have a purity and intensity of flavour seldom encountered in Chablis today.
Chablis Grand Cru
These are the biggest, richest and most complex Chablis, which cover a total of 100 hectares – just two percent of the appellation. At their best, they can match the quality of a Grand Cru Chardonnay from the Côte d’Or, yet often at half the price.
They may lack their southern neighbour’s opulence, but they share the latter’s intensity and have a nervy minerality that set them apart. Inexpressive in youth, they should ideally be aged for 10 years, and can mature for up to 30 years. Styles vary according to producer, with some maturing and fermenting in stainless steel while others use barrels, sometimes even new oak.
All seven Grands Crus are grouped together on a single south-west-facing hill just north of the town. La Moutonne is an unofficial eighth Grand Cru straddling Les Preuses and Vaudésir, and is allowed to use the name on its label. The rich, fine Les Clos and the intense, spicy Vaudésir are generally considered to be the best, and are certainly the most full-bodied.
The delicate Blanchots and the racy Grenouilles are the most aromatic, while Les Preuses is full, complex and the least minerally. Valmur is fragrant, rich and smooth while La Moutonne is elegant and incredibly expressive. The vibrant Bougros tends to be the junior member of the group, but in the right hands can also be very good.
Recommended producers: Billaud-Simon, Duplessis, J.-P. & Benoit Droin.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
From a 1 ha parcel planted in 1970 though as noted in the introduction, the surface area will decrease to .70 ha effective with the 2021 vintage.
A gorgeously elegant and wafting nose is perhaps the purest of the entire range with its essence of lightly smoky mineral reduction, oyster shell, quinine and spicy poached pear wisps. The texture of the stony middleweight flavours immediately reminds one of just how classy Preuses is when it's 'on' and this was on with its caressing mouthfeel that is refined to the point of finesse, yet the finish is vibrant, detailed and hugely long. This has the potential to be one of the wines of the vintage. In sum, this beauty is strikingly good with the potential to match.
Drink from 2032 onward
Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (October 2022)
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