2012 Domaine Vincent Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru "La Forest"

“The 2012 Chablis La Forest is one of the most reticent wines in this range. Here it is the wine's phenolic weight and vertical sense of structure that stand out. Lemon oil, ash, smoke and petrol are some of the many nuances that inform a tightly-wound finish that never really opens up. The 2012 Forest is a wine for the patient, but it is shaping up to be a gem. (AG) 95+” (08/2014)

“A largely mature, complex and classic Chablis nose is comprised by notes of green fruit, citrus rind, sea shore and iodine scents that are trimmed in a waxy character. There is excellent concentration to the still nicely intense flavors that are at once fleshy yet delineated and are followed by a notably saline-infused finish that delivers excellent length and solid if not sensational complexity. For my taste, this has arrived at its peak though it should hold there for at least another decade. Tasted thrice since release with consistent results.” (11/2023)

“The 2012 La Forest from Vincent Dauvissat is quite similar in structure to the Vaillons, with impressive complexity on both the nose and palate, but with the wine quite wide open out of the blocks and already drinking with great style. The refined and complex nose delivers scents of lime, pear, a dollop of orange, beeswax, flinty soil tones and a topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, broad and juicy, with a fine core of fruit, very good, framing acids and excellent length and grip on the wide open and complex finish. The acids seem pretty laid back here on the attack, but the backend is long and racy. Good juice that will drink very well right out of the blocks.” (12/2013)

“The 2012 Chablis 1er Cru la Forest from Vincent Dauvissat has a lovely nose, a little more tropical than I remember it, with touches of guava and pineapple infusing the citrus fruit, subtle marine influences developing with aeration in the glass. The palate is fresh on the entry with a nice touch of bitter lemon, moderate weight in the mouth with a honeyed seam emerging toward the finish. It takes a little time to enter its stride, but it is certainly worth the wait. (NM)” (08/2015)