One of the greatest successes this year, Vincent Dauvissat’s 2023 Chablis 1er Cru La Forest opens from the glass with aromas of oyster shell, lemon zest, dried white flowers and iodine. Medium-bodied and tensile, laden with electric acidity, an abundance of chalky extract and concluding with a searingly saline finish, this is one of the finest wines of the vintage. If Raveneau consistently excels in Montée de Tonnerre, it is Dauvissat who’s the king of La Forest. Vincent Dauvissat is one of the greatest vignerons in France, producing some of the most soulful wines not just in Chablis but across the entire Burgundy region. Dauvissat, who once considered a career as a shepherd, ultimately became a vigneron and, though technically retired, remains a vital presence at his eponymous domaine. His personality, both meditative and meticulous, is reflected in his wines, which, provided the cork holds well, are incredibly long-lived. (KK)