Rene & Vincent Dauvissat Chablis La Forest 1er Cru 2020 (750ML)

95+ WA / 95 DE / 93-95 JM / 92-94 BH / 91-93 VM

A striking young wine, Dauvissat's brilliant 2020 Chablis 1er Cru La Forest unfurls in the glass with aromas of crisp orchard fruit, orange oil, pear, oyster shell, freshly baked bread and smoke, framed by a deft touch of reduction. Medium to full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, it's taut and concentrated, with racy acids, chalky structuring and a long, searingly mineral finish. Recent years have delivered so many brilliant renditions of La Forest that it's hard to pick a favorite between the likes of 2008, 2014, 2017 and 2019, but the 2020 is certainly a worthy entrant into the competition, and it's worth a special effort to seek out. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

Intriguing nose of lime and lemon zest, a hint of honey, then mineral, salty characters on the palate. A magnificent premier cru, this has the acidity and structure to age many years but is very fine already. The overall impression here is of a Chablis with power, density and which compares to a grand cru. - Andy Howard MW, Decanter

5 star wine. Pale primrose, the nose takes some teasing out but all is there. Then the wine starts to build, some liquorice, lots of stones, succulence without sucrosity, complete with a lovely acidity. Really quite backward but all is there. 12.5% alcohol, and a long term winner. - Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

Sweet spot Outstanding. A highly complex nose combines notes of citrus rind, sea breeze, petrol and shellfish. There is excellent size, weight and intensity to the more robust and muscular if less refined flavors that brim with dry extract before terminating in a mineral-driven and bone-dry but not really austere finale. I very much like the balance, and this should also age gracefully yet it's not so structured that it couldn't be approached after 5-ish years if desired. - Allen Meadows, Burghound

The 2020 Chablis Fôrets 1er Cru is backward on the nose, the most stubborn and recalcitrant of Dauvissat’s Premier Crus despite rigorous coaxing. The powerful palate is linear, like the Montée de Tonnerre, but displays a little more <em>puissance</em> toward the finish. But, maybe, the Montée has more charm. We will see. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media