Tasting Notes: It would be easy to imagine Chablis as just one place, the vineyards around the town of the same name. However, in fact it is a collection of 20 villages, with a total of 4,800 hectares under vine, on both sides of the wonderfully named river Serein. To get to Emmanuel Dampt’s family holding of 60 hectares you need to leave the town on the right hand bank, go behind the Grand Cru slope for a few kilometres across rather flat fields, arrive at the village of Collan. The heart of Dampt’s wine production is of course Chablis at all four quality levels but they have a pretty comprehensive offer of red, white and sparkling. They make the most of the range of soils in the region – Kimmeridgean for Chablis itself, hill top sites of harder Portlandian for Petit Chablis and Oxfordian limestone, like the Côte de Beaune, for more rounded Chardonnay and Pinot. The vineyards basically follow the lines of the rivers – the climate here is continental, with cold winters and hot summers, so the moderating effects of bodies of water and air movement is important. This wine comes from Oxfordian limestone, tastes like a Cote de Beaune, richer and rounder with more expressive fruit. The wine comes from the classic 2009 vintage, one of the three best vintages in the last twenty years. The wine is superb displaying white peach, almond, and white currant with smoky oak tones lead to a luscious palate with subtle creamy tones and a supple long, elegant finish. This guy is good. I loved this wine!