Agnès et Didier Dauvissat (& Florent)
Seckford have been working with Agnès et Didier Dauvissat for five vintages now - the wines are absolutely fantastic and are getting even better each year! This branch of the famous Dauvissat family is a small family domaine, and the new generation is pushing the quality to even higher levels, however luckily for both merchant and drinker the prices remain brilliantly reasonable.
Florent, their son, is now at the helm, crafting vibrant, zesty and mineral Chablis. Despite being a relatively recent producer, Domaine Agnès et Didier Dauvissat is already making a name for itself with its pure expressions of Chardonnay.
These Chablis are fermented in tank and see no oak. This maintains the gorgeous minerality and freshness without the need for time in bottle( to let the oak integrate with the wine). 2020 is a riper and fuller vintage than previous years, perfect for immediate drinking.
Neal Martin:
Yes, another Dauvissat to confuse you; however, you will have no regrets once you taste Florent Dauvissat’s wines. Dropping into my BIVB tasting to introduce himself, he told me that his parents always took a sustainable approach in the vineyard, and he has built on those principles, employing late pruning and de-budding, and limiting the use of sprays, with the aim of producing “pure and precise wines while maintaining freshness and balance.” Dauvissat’s Chablis Beauroy is exceptional, and his Chablis-Village flirts with Premier Cru quality.
Neal Martin wonders: Could Florent Dauvissat be the next great winemaker to bear that famous surname?
The Vintage
Florent says that 2020 was a vintage of good quality and was quite easy. The wines are fruity with good acidity, however the quantity is slightly lower due to bad flowering in spring. Summer was dry, but not like 2018 or 2019.
The Wines
At a Glance:
Petit Chablis
£68 per 6 x 75cl IB - 
Chablis
£78 per 6 x 75cl IB -
Read More About Each Wine Below
Petit Chablis
£68 per 6 x 75cl IB
The Petit Chablis of Domaine Agnès et Didier Dauvissat comes from several parcels on Portlandian limestone terroir in Beine and the eastern side of the plateau above the grand cru slope. The vines were planted in the mid-1990s.
Lively, fresh & very drinkable! Baked apples on the nose with lemon, lime and pear. A little almond and spice hanging around in there too. Perhaps a touch of stone fruit too. Lovely balance and texture, soft mouthfeel, but lively with vivid acidity and minerality. Dry and crisp, but notes of honeysuckle and hints of sweet orchard fruits. Affordable and really lovely.
Chablis
£78 per 6 x 75cl IB
From Kimmeridgian soils that give it great minerality. 5.5 hectares in total – 3 in Fyé, behind Blanchots, just below the plateau of Petit Chablis. The vines, facing south on clay and limestone soil, were planted in 1987. Good to go straight away, but can be kept for 5-6 years. Fermented in tank with no oak. Gorgeous minerality & freshness.
Vibrant nose with lime, pear and lovely spice. Grapefruit on the palate with tart apples and. More complexity and higher acidity. Very well balanced, beautiful saline minerality, tart green fruits and citrus. Lovely concentration of flavours and a very long finish. Fantastic!