Domaine Sébastien Dampt

Les vendanges se rapprochent de plus en plus. Suite à un mois de Juillet caniculaire avec des températures approchant les 40°C, la vigne semblait souffrir...

Le manque d'eau semblait bloquer l'évolution du raisin, nous pouvons ainsi trouver sur les grappes exposées au sud, des baies légèrement "brulées" par le soleil.

Heureusement quelques pluies sont tombées en aout, ce qui a permis au raisin de pouvoir poursuivre sa maturation.

Le millésime 2015 semble très prometteur, le style devrait être assez "solaire" avec des niveaux de sucre important et une belle concentration.

En ce mois de Mai, la vigne pousse très vite, les premières grappes sont désormais visibles... nous commençons le relevage des fils pour palisser la vigne.

Tasted in Milly with Sébastien Dampt,

Although my appointment was for ‘Sébastien Dampt’ the location is really signposted as Domaine Daniel Dampt (the father).

Sebastien was heading to London, later today for his UK importer’s tasting of 2013s – John Armit.

Sebastien owns 7 hectares for his own domaine wines.

Sébastien on 2013:

”The Petit Chablis is usually harvested last so was quite concentrated this year. We didn’t start too early because we didn’t want unripe grapes. We began 1st October and the 1er crus were harvested in ideal conditions, but Saturday the 5th was the big rain and then began the porriture – in the end our yields were about 30% down. “I bottled a little earlier to keep freshness as the acidity at least analytically is low vs say 14, but you would hardly notice in the glass.”

The wines…

The 1ers stay in tank over the winter – the rest are already bottled. This was just a great set of wines

2013 Domaine Sebastien Dampt, Petit Chablis Terroir de Milly

From the end of the Vaillons valley, only 5 metres away are villages vines and the 1er crus less than 100 metres away. Fresh, a little more seashore impression, faintly sweet. Fuller, bigger, sweeter, super-mouth-watering. Brilliant Petit Chablis

2013 Domaine Sebastien Dampt, Chablis

From 5 parcels of vines, the main one near Lys, totaling 5 hectares – but the Lys parcel has 45 yo vines – the older vines provide more ripeness, but the young vines complete the wine with more freshness. A core of ripeness but nice fresh higher tones above. Ouf! Direct, and easily the most mineral wine yet, with slowly growing complexity as it rolls over your tongue – quite silky too. Excellent!

2013 Domaine Sebastien Dampt, Chablis 1er Vaillons

Vines planted by grandfather 50-60 years old A hint of seashore over a good weight of fruit. Quite big, airy fresh, growing intensity, here is a clear mouthwatering sweet acidity . Very yum

2013 Domaine Sebastien Dampt, Chablis 1er Beugnons

A cuvée of 2,100 wax-topped bottles whose elevage was in a concrete ‘egg-shaped’ tank with builtin thermo-regulation. Modest but bright and pretty aromas. Large-scaled, but with only a modest plushness – mainly this majors on complexity and a discrete intensity. The combination is beguiling. Lovely finishing and really long. Not the biggest, baddest, most intense (et cetera) but really a super synthesis of all…

2013 Domaine Sebastien Dampt, Chablis 1er Cote de Lechet

From a single parcel of 50 year-old vines. Quite low yielding… A real seashore nose, perhaps framed with an accent of reduction. Lithe, silky, with fine minerality – quite a contemplative wine despite good acidity and intensity. Really super finish that expands before slowly decaying… Yum!

By Bill Nanson

Le magazine Anglais Decanter vient de publier ses notes concernant le millésime 2013.

C'est Gérard Basset, meilleur sommelier du monde 2010, qui a dégusté les vins.

En ce début d'année 2015, certains vins ont terminé la fermentation malo lactique. Nous pouvons donc commencer les premiers soutirages, c'est le cas du Petit Chablis "Terroir de Milly" 2014...

Après un été frais et pluvieux, le mois de septembre fut chaud et ensoleillé. Ces conditions idéales ont permis d'obtenir des raisins d'un superbe état sanitaire pour la vendange. Ce millésime 2014 est déjà très prometteur car nous avons obtenus des jus avec un parfait équilibre entre le sucre et l'acidité.

Les 2014 seront a mon sens des vins d'une incroyable fraîcheur (du fait d'un été très frais) et d'une belle concentration (grâce à la météo favorable de septembre).

page XIV

Le Chablis 2013 du domaine, est classé Grande Réussite pour ce millésime. On retrouve également ce vin dans la rubrique les 5 bouteilles à acheter en priorité.

* UK critic Tim Atkin has named Domaine Sébastien Dampt on his list of the ‘Top 25 best value producers.’

Chablis : 87
Chablis 1er Cru "Côte de Léchet" : 92
Chablis 1er Cru "Les Vaillons" 92

* Burghound reviews by Allen Meadows :

2012 Petit Chablis - Terroir de Milly: This is relatively restrained for the appellation with a lovely nose of green fruit and

citrus nuances that are both cool and pure. There is good detail on the attractively punchy flavors that possess good length on

the mineral-inflected finish. This offers good quality in the context of the genre. 87/2014+

2012 Chablis: Here the nose offers up a pretty combination of green fruit, pear and soft floral hints that introduce textured,

delicious and energetic flavors that conclude in a persistent and intensely saline finish that displays hints of quinine and bitter

lemon. A competent villages. 88/2016+

2012 Chablis “Vaillons”: (from 50+ year old vines). A very Chablis nose presents beautifully complex aromas

of mineral-reduction, oyster shell and tidal pool hints. There is a beguiling sense of freshness to the vibrant, detailed and

delineated flavors that possess a clean, dry and well-balanced finish where a touch of youthful austerity arrives just at the end.

(89-92)/2018+

2012 Chablis “Côte de Léchet”: An exceptionally fresh nose offers up cool and stunningly pure aromas of citrus zest, dried

white flowers, mineral reduction and quinine. There is excellent intensity to the delicious and punchy flavors that are blessed

with both plenty of extract and fine complexity on the balanced and lingering finish. This should be approachable after only 2

to 3 years of bottle age but reward more if you have a mind to wait. 92/2018+