Arguably Dampt’s Best Wine
– Sebastien Dampt’s Chablis Are Consistently Delicious Chablis
– A Select Sub Section of Vaillons
– The Concrete Egg Elevage Just Takes It Over the Top
– Crazy, Classic Chablisien Balance
– One of the Most Interesting Wines in Chablis – I Kid You Not
– It’s Almost Its Own Category within Chablis (A Category of One)
– If You Like Chablis, You Have to Try This – A “Wall of Flavor” Wine
A Fraction of The Cost of Lower Quality Vaillons
– Laroche Vaillons 2021 – $74.99
– Long-Depaquit Vaillons 2020 – $69.99
2023 Vintage
– Earlier Harvest
– Classic Chablis Character
– Crackling Acidity and Freshness
2023 Sebastien Dampt Chablis 1er Cru “Les Beugnons”
– Minerals, Fruit, Acidity Hit You in Big Wallops All at Once
– As the Wine Aerates, Each Element Comes More Into Focus
– Gorgeous Sweet Acids
– Classic, Classic Chablis … But Better
– Terrific Fruit Density but Not Overtly Fruity
– Juicy, Juicy, Juicy Fruit
– Mineral Up the Yin Yang
– Everything Is on a Line
– So Refined and Well Mad
– Stunning, Stunning, Stunning Balance
– The Fruit Is a Component Alongside the Chablisien Minerality
– 90-93 Points, Allen Meadows AKA Burghound (2021)/ 91 BH (2022)
– With Air, This Can Compete with the Big Boys in Chablis – It’s That Good
The 2023 Vintage – Sebastian Dampt’s Take
Finally, we have a Chablis vintage where the wines are mostly not allocated! Yay! 2023 is here and after short vintages in 19/20/21 I have never been happier that a full vintage is here. Think of this like 2020 or 2012 . The wines have terrific acidity. freshness, depth and classic seashell/kimmeridigian Chablis character. They are elegant and refined.
“Concerning the year 2023, we started the harvest September 11, so it’s a return to a classic year for the harvest date.
The year was more rainy compare to 2022, so the wine are perhaps less concentrate in dry extract but more balance.
We had very warm temperature the week before the harvest, so it’s was impossible to started the harvest early. Finally the level of alcohol was good, due to the warm temperature we don’t have to make chaptalisation. And concerning the level of acidity, it’s very similar to 2022.
I think the wines of 2023 will be more light compare to 2022, more light in the good way, with a bit more freshness, and less powerful than the 2022. The volume of the harvest was good, and we had more juice compare to 2022, it’s a good thing to have the quantity and the quality in the same time; harvest was not so big as 2018 but just enough to have a good volume after the small 2021 in quantity.
We didn’t have frost spring in 2023, the big problem was the mildew and oidium pressure due to the rain in spring and some storm during the summer. Second thing was the pressure of grass in the vineyard, because the rainy weather permit to the grass to grow a lot and make some concurrence to the vineyard. In my estate, we didn’t use herbicide, so we had to do more work of the soil in the vineyard to control the grass.
I like a lot the 2023 vintage, for me it will be a classic vintage inside the range of warm vintage. Not the warmest summer, perhaps the more rainy compare to 2018-19-20 and 22; for me 2023 could be a bit similar as 2012 or 2009. We will see after some months of aging, if that is the case!”
The Wine
After 10 vintages, I’m convinced that Dampt’s Beugnons is one of the elite wines in Chablis. All of Sebastien’s wines are remarkably consistently very good. But there is something about this Beugnons that catapults it into the upper echeclon of Chablis. It has what I think you want in an elite 1er cru. Dense without being blowsy. Fruit but not so much that it overtakes the minerality that you need in great Chablis. More of a density than anything overly obvious and tawdry.
I’m not sure whether it’s the plot, the egg or the fact that as a small production wine it gets extra special attention that makes this so great. It’s likely some combination of all 3.
Today, I am offering the 2022 Sebastien Dampt Chablis 1er Cru “Les Beugnons,” (as little as $36.99 each on a 4-pack and $34.99 on a 12 bottle case).
“Cool and even smokier aromas of white flowers, lime zest and seaweed give way to energetic and delineated middleweight flavors that terminate in a crisp and very dry yet not especially austere finale that exhibits sneaky good length. This should repay a few years of keeping as a bit more depth should make this even more attractive.” – 91 Points, Burghound (2022)
“A layered nose offers up notes of ocean breeze, citrus rind and plenty of mineral reduction. I very much like the sense of underlying tension on the delicious middleweight flavors where the citrus-tinged acidity supporting the lingering finish is saliva inducing. This highly refreshing effort should be capable of rewarding 5 to 8 years of cellaring. Lovely.” – 90-93 Points Burghound (2021)
The Vineyard and the Egg Les Beugnons is a subsection of Vaillons that is particularly well regarded. Sebastien believes that the concrete egg for elevage is perfect for this particular parcel. This is one of the first eggs in Chablis. The only other egg I know of is Thomas Pico at the cult favorite Pattes Loups. Sebastien’s wines already have a lean, mineral spine along with wonderful density as his 2021 Vaillons can attest to, but with a concrete egg it can achieve more fruit during fermentation and a more opulent mouthfeel. It also retains that classic Chablisien character. There is a vastness you get from the egg that is so intriguing. Sebastien pulls it off and this wine is sensational. I don’t have much but it is worth it. Always the class of the 1er cru at Dampt and man is this a smoker.
Gorgeous nose of pear, apple, intense salty iodine, gorgeous ocean air, confectionary minerality. Some citrus and even some flint. This is exactly what you want in Chablis. It’s like sitting at the border of an apple orchard and a citrus orchard that are located at the top of a rocky cliff over looking the ocean. You get that swirl of fruit and the minerals and the salt from the ocean all at once. Just spectacular.
Palate is superb with wonderful texture and richness and lovely crunch. So clean and pure with racy acidity and freshness and awesome explosiveness. The great thing about this wine is just that perfect balance
Damn this is well made.
Concentrated and balanced with terrific crunch and texture. So pure and ripe but with just insane freshness. So long and persistent. A star. It has all the richness and tell-tale floral/mineral character of Sebastien’s great Vaillons, but this is a warmer section of the vineyard and deemed a great spot by Sebastien, plus his decision to ferment in an egg makes this a must buy. It is so great in the superbly fresh 2023 vintage at Dampt. Perfectly balanced and already very complex.
Salty, lemony, seashell-like finish with jaw dropping purity and freshness.
The exceptional quality from this very little known 1er Cru within a 1er Cru is one of the most unique wines I have offered at Fass Selections. This is the 8th vintage and maybe the best yet I have offered.
Please call Cheryl at 949 378 5251 after emailing with your order if you are a first time customer (we prefer not to receive credit card numbers over E-Mail).
OFFICE HOURS 4-7 PM
I love drinking and selecting wines – but my passion for teaching people about wine is almost as big. I’m happy to announce a block of time each day where people can call me just to chat about wine in general. These blocks are NOT intended to sell wine (I do that all day). This is to talk to me about wine pairings or great producers or how long to age wines or styles of wine making or the latest wine controversy. My goal is to help people learn more about wine and enjoy it more. Call me at 917-912-4355 from 4-7EST Monday – Friday.
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