2011 Chablis

Sebastien Dauvissat compares 2012 to 2002 for the wines' overall balance. Yields are down 25% because of poor weather during flowering. Dauvissat, who is always among the last to bottle, showed me all of his 2011s (except the Chablis) from tank, Dauvissat describes 2011 as a less flattering vintage than 2012, which certainly seems to be the case with some of these wines, as a few of the 2011s were less expressive than they were last year.

Sebastien Dauvissat is never in a rush to bottle or release his wines, so the finished wines he showed me in early June were mostly his 2010s, which he bottled as late as December of 2012.As to vintage 2012, Dauvissat waited until September 29 to start harvesting, then picked in five days."There was a lot of mildew pressure in 2012, but we were saved by a hot, dry August," he told me.He benefited by harvesting in cool weather and said that the grapes maintained good freshness.Dauvissat compared the young 2012s, which finished their malos and were racked in February, to his 2002s in their combination of fruit, flowers and minerality."The wines will be expressive and enjoyable early but will last," he predicted.By the way, Dauvissat noted that 2005 was the first year in which he did not chaptalize; for him, that's when climate change became obvious.

Sebastien Dauvissat describes 2010 as a lighter vintage, along the lines of 2000, that yielded less structured wines than 2011, reflecting an unusual, contrarian opinion in how these two vintages are viewed by the producers. But then again, that is what keeps things interesting. In 2011 Dauvissat began harvesting on September 3, As is his custom, Dauvissat warmed the cellar in December to encourage a quick start and finish to the malolactic fermentations. By comparison, the 2010s were brought in quite a bit later, beginning on September 20. Dauvissat is among the last to bottle some of his wines. I tasted a handful of 2010s that were to be bottled in October and November of this year.