Jean Dauvissat, and his son Sébastien, are the most recent in an extended line of the Dauvissat family that has been in possession of this notable domaine since 1899. The cave is positioned under the family house which dates from the 17th century and where the road to the hamlet of Chichée begins. The first formal bottling of wines under the Dauvissat label occurred on a limited scale in 1963. The physical expansion of the domaine under his management, along with ever-increasing quality and accompanying renown, has resulted in the cessation of sales to negociants and the bottling of the entire annual production of approximately 50,000 bottles.
The estate encompasses slightly less than 10 hectares of vineyards. The Grand Cru vineyards are south-facing; the 1er Cru vineyards have a full southeast exposure; and the village property faces northwest. All are hillside sites with an “argilo-calcaire” soil composition heavily marked by small stones that provide for excellent drainage. Of course, the entire vineyard surface is underlain by the Kimmeridgian limestone that makes Chablis one of the most unique wine-producing areas in the world.
Farming
Lutte Raisonnée
Treatments
Synthetic treatments only when necessary
Ploughing
Annual ploughing to promote soil health
Soils
Kimmeridgian limestone-clay marls
Vines
Average age 20 years, trained in Guyot and planted at 5,800-8,300 vines/ha
Yields
Controlled with severe winter pruning, debudding, and deleafing
Harvest
All wines except for Chablis grand cru are machine harvested
Sourcing
Entirely estate fruit
Fermentation
Wines ferment with selected yeasts in stainless-steel tanks
Extraction
Bâtonnage employed only to counter reduction
Chaptalization
Chaptalization when necessary
Pressing
Pneumatic pressing
Malolactic Fermentation
Spontaneous, in tank in spring
Élevage
Village wines spend 1 year in stainless-steel tanks, 1er Cru wines spend 2 years in stainless-steel tanks. Grand Cru wines spend 2 years in stainless-steel tanks and small barrels, a quarter of them new
lees
1 year for village wines, 2 years for 1er Cru and Grand Cru wines
Fining and Filtration
Bentonite fining, diatomaceous earth filtration
sulfur
Applied after fermentation, at rackings, and at bottling
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