2022 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru

When I visited this year, as I expected, like almost every other vigneron, Vincent Dauvissat was toiling out in the vines, spraying to protect them during a rare spell of dry weather after weeks of showers. Here, they started picking the 2022s on September 11. There was some mildew and rot at the beginning of harvest, which were sorted out at reception. The 2022s were bottled slightly earlier than other vintages. With respect to the 2023s, there is a little less acidity than in other years, but yields are better than in 2022.

Vincent Dauvissat was out in the vines when I dropped in at the winery. The prevailing hot and humid conditions meant that mildew pressure was high. So, his daughter Etiennette, who now works alongside her father, guided me through their full range of 2022s. “We cropped at 45 to 48hL/ha with some parcels up to 60hL/ha,” she explains. “We picked from around September 3. It was very precocious with just a bit of stress on the younger vines.” One comes to expect Chablis from the top drawer from this address, and the 2022s will not disappoint, even though they demand a requisite decade in bottle before they really show their mettle, plus a long decanting if possible (as proven by a 2003 Les Clos that Dauvissat had been opened four days earlier that was singing.) In the tussle between the Grand Crus, I lean towards their Les Preuses over Les Clos this year.