2019 Chablis: Dauvissat Delivers Premier Cru With Great Potential At An Attractive Price

Summer is upon us, and while there are few things better served in the sun on a terrace than Chablis, Chablis is also becoming increasingly interesting from an investment perspective - and here, you have the opportunity to invest in strong value-for-money wine from Chablis' absolute elite.

Dauvissat: Almost 100 Years Without Significant Changes

In the northern part of Burgundy lies Chablis. Here, they are world-famous for producing white wines from the Chardonnay grape that are incomparable with Chardonnay wines from the rest of the world due to their stringent notes and flinty and mineral character. 

In this area, Domaine Raveneau reigns as the uncrowned king, but he is by no means alone in the elite of Chablis. A popular opinion is that nothing beats Raveneau in Chablis, but right behind him is Vincent Dauvissat - and here, they make world-class Chablis that, along with Raveneau, has put Chablis on the world map. 

Since 1931, Dauvissat has produced and sold wine in its own name, and while the legacy has been passed down from generation to generation, surprisingly little has happened here in the meantime. The approach and work remain classic, and both things are similar on all fronts, to what you see at Raveneau - a recipe for success that has not needed much changing for nearly 100 years.

La Forest - Dauvissat's Hidden Treasure

Dauvissat is world-famous for their coveted Grand Cru wines, Les Clos and Les Preuses - wines that are both expensive and hard to obtain. But connoisseurs will know that Dauvissat has a hidden treasure among the domain's wines: the Premier Cru wine La Forest, also referred to as La Forêt.

Despite a price that is generally half of the two Grand Cru wines, La Forest is still considered by many wine connoisseurs as an almost equal alternative, where expression, depth, and complexity approach the level known from the two big brothers from Les Clos and Les Preuses.

The qualities of La Forest come from a high proportion of old vines (on average 40 years old), a perfect southern orientation, and a classic soil with a lot of clay - characteristics that are shared with the unique Les Clos, and which make La Forest give both wine lovers and investors extremely good value-for-money - the price of 2019 La Forest is very attractive.

Dauvissat currently produces La Forest from approximately 3.7 hectares and with the classification as Premier Cru in Chablis, a maximum of 45 hectolitres per hectare may be produced here. This means that Dauvissat can produce up to about 22,000 bottles of La Forest, although it is likely to be less, as Dauvissat emphasizes quality over volume. This is a negligible quantity to quality, reputation, and price level, and is a clear indicator of why these wines are extremely hard to obtain. 

Opportunity To Invest In The Mighty 2019 Vintage From Burgundy

The 2019 vintage in Burgundy is simply something special, and to such an extent that the vintage is referred to as the best vintage since 1865. It is almost guaranteed that among the greatest and best wines, we will see one record after another for what new vintages can cost, and certainly push the limits of how much a bottle of wine can cost.

Read more about the 2019 vintage in Burgundy here: 2019 Burgundy -” The Best Vintage Since 1865”

Chablis is, as you know, part of Burgundy, and while the expectations for the 2019 vintage are generally based around Burgundy, these also apply to Chablis.

At Dauvissat, the 2019 vintage is so new that scores from the leading critics are very scarce. But looking back over the past 20 years, the quality of Dauvissat's La Forest has not fluctuated much and guarantees a stable high level. In this perspective, it would be reasonable to expect the 2019 vintage to at least maintain the same level, while this wine may have the momentum of being a 2019 vintage that in itself will develop into a true Burgundy brand. 

Chablis According To Liv-Ex

Historically, it is the wines of the "Old World" that have ranked highest on the list of the most traded wines on the British wine exchange, Liv-ex. But this order has been reversed in recent years, with wines from places like Italy and the Rhone starting to make a name for themselves. Among these new stars, we also have Chablis, previously the forgotten part of Burgundy.

Liv-ex wrote, as part of their 2017 Power 100 list in January 2018, that Chablis has entered the big stage with Raveneau and Dauvissat. There was so much trading activity on the wines of these two producers in 2017 that both were ranked for the first time, respectively at number 112 and 189. The Power 100 list is based on four different criteria, including year-on-year price trends and trading volume measured both by value and volume - so it is obvious that not just any producers are included here, and even fewer make it onto the list. Dauvissat has taken the first step and joins Raveneau as pioneers of Chablis' emergence on the international wine scene.

RareWine Invest's Opinion

Do you believe in the rise of the "new world" of top wines? Chablis is then not a place to ignore. Dauvissat, in company with Raveneau, has truly put Chablis on the world map and created distinctive white wines that are gaining more and more popularity all over the world.

Dauvissat has been presenting great wines under its own name for almost 100 years and is particularly famous for its two Grand Cru wines. But it is in the shadow of these, in Dauvissat's hidden treasure, the Premier Cru wine La Forest, that untapped potential is to be found. Here, you get a wine that many wine connoisseurs compare to the two Grand Cru wines.

Chablis fans around the world have a habit of acquiring all Dauvissat wines from the market, as the offer on wine-searcher.com also testifies. Nevertheless, we have obtained a portion of the already famous 2019 vintage, which is now being sold for investment at far below market price. In fact, you are currently saving 25% compared to the cheapest price on wine-searcher.com.

Now is the time to ensure a Chablis before the spotlight really hits the characteristic white wines.