Dauvissat's 2011 Petit Chablis represents one of those periodic instances - often at this address - that demonstrate the remarkable potential of what is, ostensibly (witness its very name!), the lowest rung on the...
Dauvissat's 2011 Petit Chablis represents one of those periodic instances - often at this address - that demonstrate the remarkable potential of what is, ostensibly (witness its very name!), the lowest rung on the qualitative ladder of its region. There is an overt, succulent fruitiness of ripe apple and white peach here that one scarcely anticipates from any generic Chablis, complemented by smoky nut oils, a distinct and invigorating nip of fresh ginger, and a more predictable rivulet of fresh lime. Sleek and buoyant, this "little" Chablis proves transparent to considerable chalky and crystalline mineral nuance not to mention tinged with saliva-liberating salinity in a prolonged and stimulating finish. Plan to savor it through 2015, and perhaps beyond. - David Schildknecht