2011 Chablis Les Forets
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Tasting notes
The 2011 Chablis 1er Cru La Forest is still a touch closed for primetime drinking, but it’s a great success in this sometimes rather diffuse Chablis vintage and is a classic rendition of the Domaine’s emblematic cuvée. Aromas of lemon oil, oyster shell and dried flowers precede a medium-full, concentrated and precise wine, with an ample mid-palate, zest acids and a typically chalky finish.
Critic scores
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
A much more cryptic and savory wine, this has a little grapefruit and some flinty elements, too. The palate’s taut, integrated and fluid; the phenolics have a nice role to play; the acidity is high; and the chalky, white-peach finish is long and even.
The 2011 Chablis La Forest is seriously beautiful. White peaches, pears, flowers, crushed rocks, mint and slate meld together in a hugely inviting, textured Chablis that will drink beautifully right out of the gate. At the same time, the 2011 is seriously inward for the year and clearly still has a lot more to say. A recent bottle of the 2010 was stellar.
Bright pale yellow. Penetrating mineral aromas of crushed stone and oyster shell, with a hint of ripe grapefruit in the background. Wonderfully juicy and vibrant if youthfully taut, offering uncanny intensity and tactility for the vintage. Finishes saline and extremely long, with notes of lime, oatmeal and powdered stone. This palate-staining wine left my salivary glands quivering. Dauvissat does a vendange entier, practically no debourbage and almost no stirring of the lees.