Domaine Vincent Dauvissat

The origins of Domaine Vincent Dauvissat date to 1930s Chablis when Robert Dauvissat became one of the region's first growers to bottle his own wines rather than sell his produce to négociants and other wineries. Robert began the family's winemaking journey with just one hectare of vines across the Les Clos and La Forest climats. The next generation, René and Madeleine Dauvissat took over in 1950 and immediately started to expand the domaine's holdings by leasing and buying further parcels in the Grand Crus, Les Clos, and Les Preuses as well as Premier Crus, La Forest, and Sechet sites. René and Madeleine built on the domaine's reputation throughout the following decades with Vincent beginning work at the domaine alongside his parents in the late 1970s. Vincent had set his sights on becoming a shepherd but, after his parents retired in 1989, he took the helm of the domaine to gradually become one of France's most esteemed vignerons. While carrying on age-old vineyard and winery practices, like careful pruning for the desired yield, Vincent introduced a viticultural change that has cemented the domaine's reputation for exceptional wine quality: In 2002, he adopted biodynamic farming techniques, but he implements this approach quietly, without seeking official certification. Interestingly, Vincent maintains that his father was implementing biodynamic methods before he did because, despite René's use of fertilizers and herbicides, he had a natural and instinctive appreciation of and bond with his vines that informed his approach in the vineyard. Vincent adopts a minimal interventionist approach in the cellar, believing that meticulously farmed fruit over complex winemaking methods provides all of the components necessary for finessed, balanced wines. The year 2013 saw the fourth generation of Dauvissats, siblings Ghislain and Etiennette, officially starting to work beside Vincent. Ghislain is responsible for vineyard care while Etiennette's role is managing administration. Both take part in vinification. While their father has, technically, retired, he remains very much present in the vineyard and cellar, passing on the benefit of his experience to his children. As such, Ghislain and Etiennette are absorbing the legacy of earlier, pioneering winemaking generations to ensure pristine, terroir-expressive Domaine Vincent Dauvissat wines will continue to be made for generations to come.