Winemaker Notes
The Dampt family has a long and illustrious tradition of winemaking in Chablis, with Daniel Dampt and his grandfather Jean Defaix both owning highly regarded estates in the region. Daniel’s son, Vincent, grew up in this world of Chardonnay and decided to follow in the family’s tradition by enrolling himself in wine school at the young age of 14.
After graduating, he trained for a short time in the Jura before gaining a position at none other than Domaine Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet. In 2002, after finishing his training at Leflaive, Vincent began working with his father as winemaker for the family’s estate. After two years, he inherited a few small plots of vineyards, enabling him to create his own domaine. With full control over aspect of farming and winemaking, Vincent truly came into his own as a top tier producer in Chablis with wines that speak of precision and elegance.
Vincent’s Chablis vineyards are exquisitely situated on the left bank of the Serein river, on the famous Kimmeridgian marl; a mixture of clay, chalk and marine fossils. For his village and premier cru wines, Vincent vinifies exclusively in tank to preserve every bit of the classic Chablis cut and minerality. With his micro-production Grand Crus, he ferments and ages the wines in older barrels. The fruit for these wines comes from prime parcels in Valmur and Les Clos, showing every bit the majestic qualities that have made these vineyards legendary. With his minimalist approach in the cellar, Chablis rarely is able to express itself with such clarity.
While there is not really anything small about Petit Chablis, it does categorically represent a “mini” Chablis in the sense that the wines are more approachable when young and not intended for long age. Petit Chablis is a perfect introduction to the Chablis style of Chardonnay—bright, racy, tactile, flinty, complex. But Petit Chablis won’t put you over budget and they are notoriously wonderful food pairing wines. Raw fish, oysters, grilled prawns, or any fish for that matter, as well as egg-based dishes, goat and soft creamy cheese and savory puff pastry tartlets will partner graciously with the floral, citrus and mineral notes of a Petit Chablis.
The term Petit Chablis actually refers to the wines made from Chardonnay grown in vineyards right outside of the borders of the Grands Crus and Premiers Crus, but still within the Chablis wine-growing district. In thte Petit Chablis areas, Portlandien soil dominates, a clay limestone soil similar to the prized Kimmeridgian (where the Grands and Premiers Crus Chablis vineyards lie), but geologically younger.
Petit Chablis are generally made without the use of oak barrels.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.