Domaine Daniel Dampt and Maison Joseph Drouhin are two producers that we have been long-time fans of here at Marquis Wine Cellars. This week, we are very happy to offer you a selection of wines from these two top Burgundy producers.

The wines listed in this offering are not yet in stock. Pre-orders can be placed by emailing Jon Ellison at jonellison@marquis-wines.com. The wines should arrive at Marquis by the end of October 2014.

Daniel Dampt, who worked for a long time with his father-in-law Jean Defaix, fully took over this domaine in 1992 to make wine under his own label. Daniel has embraced the winemaking style of his father-in-law; made in stainless steel, the wines are classic, extremely pure and elegant, expressing the terroir of each vineyard site. While reserved and very racy in their youth, they age gracefully to reward the patient wine lover. All the wines produced at this estate are text book examples of Chablis' pure, refreshing and amazingly precise.

"This is really quite pretty with its ripe and fresh pear, green fruit and iodine scents. The supple and very round middle weight flavors possess an attractive texture before culminating in a saline-infused, pure and balanced finish. This is one of those wines that could easily be enjoyed now but should also reward a few years of cellar time if desired."

"Year in and year out, the Côte de Lechet is always my favourite wine from this estate and one of my favourite expressions of Chablis. The fruit for this wine is sourced from vineyards that range in age from 25 to 55 years old and that are South-East facing on the famed Kimmeridgian limestone. After harvesting, the grapes are fermented at a cool 18 degrees celcius for roughly two weeks in temperature controlled, stainless steel vats. After 100% malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged for 10 months in tank before being bottled. This is delicate and elegant with subtle floral hints and racy, elegant fruit. There is lots of energy and tension between the fruit and acidity. This wine is bone dry and impeccably well-balanced. Drink now or hold for another 7 or so years. Textbook 1er Cru Chablis."

- Jon Ellison, Marquis Wine Cellars

"There is plenty of Chablis character to the floral, spice, citrus, sea breeze and mineral reduction scents. I like the intensity of the detailed and solidly vibrant middle weight flavors that possess a round and supple mouth feel that culminates in a clean, dry and focused finish. If this can add more depth in bottle it should merit the upper end of my predicted range."

"A classic Fourchaume nose exhibits notes of oyster shell, citrus and green fruit. In much the same fashion as the Beauroy, the mouth feel of the fleshy and generous flavors is attractively textured thanks to the ample amount of dry extract and mid-palate fat. There is good persistence and volume to the utterly delicious finish that also displays a hint of bitter lemon."

Maison Joseph Drouhin

"A pungent nose of wood toast and reduction aromas mask the fruit at present. There is also noticeable toast on the round and very suave medium-bodied flavors that possess plenty of extract, all wrapped in a lemon-suffused finish. This is quite plump and a bit too toasty for my preferences though the crisp and dry finish is refreshing."

"A difficult nose is presently composed of sulfur, reduction and enough wood to be called generous. By contrast there is a silky mouth feel and the hallmark minerality on the elegant and beautifully well-delineated medium-bodied flavors that possess a distinct saline character on the clean, long and impeccably well-balanced finale. This will need a few years to harmonize but the underlying material is first rate and thus this transformation should occur assuming that the buyer has the patience to wait for a few years first."

"Once again reduction dominates the fruit. The dense, serious and powerful flavors possess a textured mouth feel on the mid-palate though the impressively long finish is rustic, austere and mildly drying. This is frankly difficult to read as it's clearly at an awkward stage but the dryness is a concern as it cuts the finish somewhat short and compromises the sense of balance as well. My instinct is that this will ultimately be pleasant enough if served with food as there is no reason that good complexity cannot develop but I doubt that the finish will ever completely harmonize. Pessimists will want to drink this young for its fruit and optimists will age it for a few years to allow more depth to develop."

"Strong notes of SO2 dominate the fruit at present though the mouth feel of the vibrant, dense and subtly mineral-inflected medium weight flavors is much like the Morgeot in that it's lush yet refined. There is ample concentration as well as good acid support and this should reward up to a decade of cellaring. Lovely."

"Its colour is rather deep, its nose powerful and verging on candied fruit and spices when maturing. It has good structure in the mouth, without harshness. A good Corton must have "gras" (a velvety texture) to counterbalance tannin and acidity. On the palate, it recalls the candied fruit present in the nose. Very long and persistent, it ends on a very complex note".

"A ripe and fresh if distinctly reticent nose displays elegant and complex aromas of acacia blossom, white peach and a pretty array of citrus nuances. The silky and exceptionally rich full-bodied flavors brim with dry extract that confers a wonderfully textured, indeed almost chewy mouth feel onto the palate coating, serious and naturally sweet finish that delivers outstanding persistence. This is not a huge Montrachet though the Drouhin version rarely is massive but I very much like the graceful delivery and impeccable sense of balance. 2012 is a genuinely lovely vintage for this storied wine."

"Yellow-gold. Ripe peach and apricot on the flamboyant, floral-accented nose. Ripe, fleshy and gently sweet, offering lush pit fruit and candied ginger flavors and a gentle mineral quality. Remains just this side of overblown, and finishes with very good cling and a lingering note of baking spices. Gangloff told me that there was "great maturity in the viognier in 2008 but also healthy acidity and freshness." I'd serve this exotic, powerful wine with blue or washed-rind cheeses."
- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Jan/Feb 10     90 points

To view the offerings we have recently sent out, please click any of the links below:

*please note that some of the wines listed in the links below may no longer be available.