One of our favourite Chablis producers, owned by a family of winegrowers dating back 150 years, is Daniel Dampt. The price-quality ratio for their wines is out of this world. Daniel Dampt’s two sons, Vincent and Sebastien, now manage the 30ha of vineyards.
The family work the vineyards and make the wines themselves, which is a crucial factor in the personality and quality of their different cuvées; even the Village Dampt shows excellent character, minerality and good ageability. Their Premier Crus are outstanding.
‘2023 qualifies as a vintage that’s eminently worth stocking up on: Petit Chablis for everyday quaffing and some good village wines, and premiers crus to drink now or pop in the cellar for five to 10 years.’ ‘The best of the top wines, however, may age in a similar way to those of the legendary 1990 vintage’ (Decanter)
‘Fresh and crisp’, (Vinous) the Daniel Dampt Chablis 2023 shows notes of green apple, lily of the valley, white peach and mandarin. It’s made from around 40-year old vines and is a great entry level wine that can be drunk alone or can pair well with light meats and seafood. ‘Certainly, it is one of the better examples of this vintage’, writes Neal Martin.
Made from grapes grown from the site with some of the steepest slopes in Chablis, up to 38 degrees, is the Daniel Dampt Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet 2023. The palate is rich with the typical minerality that characterises a great Chablis, and exhibits ‘solid power on the complex, sneaky long and beautifully well-balanced finale’, writes Allen Meadows of Burghound fame.
The perfect, and regional, food pairing would be to enjoy it alongside a batch of freshly baked gougères. The cheesy and savoury choux buns would be the perfect match. Bon appétit!
Vaillons, which translates to ‘little valley’ is one of the larger sites and considered a flagship premier cru site of the region. The Daniel Dampt Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2023 shows ‘ripe, cool and airy aromas’ (AM) with notes of white pepper, lemon rind, crisp apple, salted almond with a clean long finish. One always notices the purity and elegance of the wines from this site.
‘This is just lovely. Soaring out the glass already’ praises Tamlyn Currin of the Daniel Dampt Chablis 1er Cru Les Lys 2023, a distinctly floral, mineral and precise wine that is a delight right now and will still age gracefully over the next decade. It has ‘ample Chablis typicity’ and is ‘really quite lovely and very Les Lys.’ (AM)
The Daniel Dampt Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume 2023 is crafted from grapes grown on South and South-West exposure sites that are on the right bank of the Serein river. The topography along with the well-drained soils create a wine with great depth in flavour and aromatics, showing gun flint, oyster shell and layers of orchard fruit complimented by a light texture on the palate. ‘Smells, illogically, younger and more primary than Lys and Léchet. But it tastes more smoky and immediately there is a sense of something grander, more power.’ (TC)
2023 was a generous vintage, in terms of temperatures for ripening, rain at the right time and therefore a healthy and generous crop. These are definitely wines to stock up on and enjoy with friends and food.
Please click here to view the tasting notes.
For pricing and availability, please email jolette@winecellar.co.za
