Last week Neal traveled from Champagne to Chablis before making his way to the Loire. Here are his notes from domaines Dauvissat and Defaix.
“I visited with Sebastien Dauvissat early in the morning of Tuesday November 19 – a hint of snow was in the air. Our stocks of the Dauvissat wines are dwindling rapidly (because they are drinking particularly well now) so we will be shipping the next batches early in 2014. We have the good fortune of having a large selection of appellations and vintages from which to choose here; so, the objective is to select those wines that are drinking best now.
I secured the last 2400 bottles of Chablis St. Pierre 2011 for us (a superb and classic version) and determined that the best range of wines for early 2014 will be: Montmains 2010, Vaillons 2009, Sechets 2008, Vaillons Vieilles Vignes 2007 and Les Preuses 2007. That affords us the opportunity as well of presenting to our clients a five year vertical which is a lovely way to explore the terroir of Chablis.
NOTE: we may be able to access a few magnums of Vaillons VV 2005! Will confirm before the end of the year.
Daniel-Etienne Defaix remains a very special character with his insistence on releasing his wines late and after a long elevage with the lies “en suspension”. We will be shipping the last lots of Lys 2002 and Cote de Lechet 2002 as well as more Chablis Vieilles Vignes 2009 during the first trimester of 2014.
Next, on to the eastern Loire … 
– NIR”