Not to Be Denied
2009 Vincent Dauvissat Les Clos
Let Terroir Ring - in the Face of the Vintage
"The wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and absolute rock solid at the core, with a very racy chassis of acidity, laser-like focus and a brilliant, snappy and nearly endless finish. Stunning juice."
- John Gilman, View from the Cellar
Everybody is talking about the 2009 Burgundies - the 2009 red Burgundies, that is. This was definitely a vintage for Pinot more so than Chardonnay.
Unless you're Vincent Dauvissat, who killed it in 09. The considered word on the street from pretty much everyone we've talked to who's tasted the wines (which includes, well, us) is that the 2009 Dauvissats are absolutely NOT TO BE DENIED - particularly today's wine: 2009 Dauvissat Les Clos, at as low as $119.95 a bottle on the four-pack.
Gilman's quote above gets to the heart of what Dauvissat managed in this dominating vintage: a rock solid core, racy acidity, extreme focus, snap and length. Stephen Tanzer finishes his exuberant tasting note with perfectly apt praise: "this wine clearly expresses its terroir in spite of the strong vintage signature." (Full tasting notes from Gilman and Tanzer are below.)
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As for our own high praise, we'd point out that the ripeness of the vintage, which in some cases can be downright flamboyant, is here really only noticeable as a facet of dimension, of texture and density. The wine is huge, yes, jam-packed with lemon, green apple, grapefruit and a very chewy, dense mineral, 3-D feel on the palate (this is classic Clos)... but it's all shot through with that pure, pure ocean breeze freshness and ripping acidity that Dauvissat so impressively achieved in 09.
Furthermore, for all its grandeur, the wine isn't a show-off. It takes inspiration from Vincent Dauvissat himself, sure-handedly detailed and calm with confidence.
This is one of those wines where you just shake your head in awe, then bow it in honor to this master of such fine winemaking. Vincent Dauvissat continues to prove that, along with Raveneau, he is the elite in Chablis. He's also a very humble man, known for his simplicity and soft-spoken demeanor, so when he notes to Allen Meadows that although the year was considerably hot and the wines definitely have more richness, "I believe that they will age much better than many people seem to be predicting at present..." We believe him.
Collectors will certainly want to go long here. The value here for such a high-class wine from such a top-echelon producer is still very impressive, and the wine, while it may come around a bit sooner than the 08 or definitely the 07, will also undoubtedly hold up for another decade and quite probably two in the cellar.
Please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463 to place your order.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
Gilman, View from the Cellar: "The 2009 Dauvissat Les Clos is every bit a match for the surreal Les Preuses. The flawless bouquet offers up scents of green apples, grapefruit, a touch of young Chablis’ green fruit tones, a brilliant base of flinty minerality, smoky notes, dried flowers and wet stones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and absolute rock solid at the core, with a very racy chassis of acidity, laser-like focus and a brilliant, snappy and nearly endless finish. Stunning juice."
Tanzer, International Wine Cellar: "Pale lemon-yellow. Shy nose shows strong wet stone minerality lifted by a lavender topnote. Wonderfully ripe but quite backward; in a massive and muscular style for Clos. The powerful lemon, grapefruit and stone flavors saturate the palate on the very long back end, but this very closed wine will need a good seven or eight years to express itself. Like the Forest and the Preuses, this wine clearly expresses its terroir in spite of the strong vintage signature."
*Note: Dauvissat uses multiple U.S. importers whose labels are different. Dauvissat-Camus wines are 100% identical to those that appear under the Vincent Dauvissat label.