Chablis

From one of the top producers of Chablis.  Impressive showing.  Light gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has crushed shells, green apples, lemons and a slight waxy note.  Great texture.  Crisp acidity.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Crisp granny smith apples with crushed shells and slight lemon notes.  Deep and complex.  Long finish.  This drinks well on its own and is very food friendly.  Obviously shell fish but this went quite well with sweet potato sushi and even asparagus sushi.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  

It was interesting to try this side by side with the Vaudesir.  While neither one could be called blowsy or showy, this has more presence and weight.  Light golden/green in color, clear and bright.  The nose is classic Chablis.  Green apples, chalky minerality, slight gunpowder and slight white flowers.  Full bodied.  Great balance.  Firm acidity.  On the palate, green apples with underlying minerality and just a hint of  flint/gunpowder.  Long finish.  This is nice on its own but needs food to really shine.  Shell fish would be ideal but it went nicely with Japanese Noodles as well.  This

Can a Grand Cru be austere and pretty at the same time?  This wine seems to answer that question in a positive way.  Green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has great minerality along with peach and slight lemon peel.  Medium to full bodied.  Crisp, tangy acidity.  On the palate, there are peach and lemon lime notes that are piercing yet delicious.  Long finish.  This wine begs for food.  Shell fish would be ideal but it worked well with a sauteed mushroom dish as well.  Drink over the next eight to twelve years.  

Dampt makes some of the best value in Chablis.  With the price of the top two or three wineries going crazy, these are excellent wines that are affordable.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has great minerality/crushed shells and just a hint of lemon.  Clean.  On the palate, this is crisp and tasty.  Crushed shells.  Long finish.  This is nice on its own but would be perfect with oysters or clams.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  

This is quite good if still young.  A more feminine side of Chablis.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has apples, slight anise and gun powder (reduction?).  Medium bodied.  Good balance.  On the palate, this drinks very smooth.  Lemon cream notes.  Quite refreshing.  Deep, it does open up in the glass but could really benefit from more cellar time.  Nice finish.  This drinks well on its own but with some oysters or other sea food, it would be even better.  Cellar for another few years and drink for ten to fifteen after that.  

In the world of Chablis, there are some exceptional producers but only a couple of those are "affordable".  Sebastian Dampt is one of them and that is especially true of the 1er Crus.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has green apples, slight grapefruits, slight gunpowder and spice.  Full bodied.  Excellent acidity.  On the palate, this is still a bit tight but opens quickly in the glass.  Green apples, grapefruits and slight char.  Long finish.  Delicious on its own, this is even better with food.  Of course, oysters would work very well, but so does a fruit salad.  Drink

Drank this bottle among friends at the end of an evening and it was perfect in that spot.  Refreshing and energetic.  Light golden in color with green hues, clear and bright.  The nose has green apples, slight quince, minerality and a tweak of lemons.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is crisp and refreshing on a beautiful summer evening.  Flavors of citrus and green apples with slight minerals.  Long finish.  Great on its own, this is food friendly and would work well with vegetarian or seafood dishes.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  

While not inexpensive, this is one of the better "affordable" Grand Cru wines in Chablis.  Green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with crushed shells and sea air.  With air, a bit of lime comes out.  Full bodied.  No tannins.  On the palate, limes, quince, slight salinity with a nice texture.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This drinks great on its own but is better with food.  It would be great with oysters.  Drink over the next eight to ten years.  

My first time trying wine.  Very nice.  Gold green in color, clear and bright.  The nose is a bit chalky with apples (mostly green).  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is crisp and tasty.  Chalky with lemons.  Nice finish.  Nice on its own, but this is very food friendly.  It went great with a caprese salad.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  Nice value.

With most of my favorite Chablis producers now selling their wines for (well) north of $100 per bottle, Dampt has become one of our go to Chablis.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is slightly chalky with some minerality and slight lemon.  Also some salinity.  Full bodied.  Crisp acidity.  On the palate, lemons, chalk and minerality.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This drinks well but better with food.  Shellfish is ideal but so is Hummus and Roasted Veggies.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.