2005 Chablis

The hot 2005 growing season favored a good sortie [i.e., the formation of the bunches] in 2006, which resulted in big clusters in which the grapes did not touch each other and thus were less likely to rot during humid conditions in August and mid-September. In fact, Dauvissat told me that the conditions in 2006 were perfect and that his fruit was virtually rot-free. He began harvesting on September 18 and finished five days later, with village fruit in the 12%-12.5% range and the crus between 12.5% and 13%. "The degrees skyrocketed during the first half of September," said Dauvissat, who told me that, for the second consecutive year, he did not chaptalize. Interestingly, Dauvissat finds the 2005s more open now than the '06s, not what one would expect from a hot year like '05.

Sebastien Dauvissat describes 2005 as "a superb year, the first in a long time with no chaptalization." He believes the wines will be fresh and agreeable in their youth, but that the crus should really be laid down for seven or eight years. The vintage shows a lot of material, he added; in comparison, the 2004s are more fragile. Interestingly, he predicted that 2006 would share the same vintage profile as 2005. Only a portion of the 2005 village wine was in bottle by mid-September; the crus will be bottled in the spring of 2007.