Vincent Dauvissat La Forest 2014

From barrel and from bottle, the 2014 Chablis 1er Cru La Forest struck me as the best rendition of this bottling I had ever tasted, and it enjoyed a brief window of accessibility for six to eight months after it was released. Today, however, the wine has shut down hard, unfurling reluctantly in the glass with a reticent but immensely promising bouquet of salty oystershells, green apple, lemon oil and dried white flowers. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, elegantly textural and racy, with a deep but tight-knit core, tangy balancing acids and a long, searingly saline, mineral finish. To give close Dauvissat followers an idea of the wine’s style and structure, this Forest combines the harmony and completeness of the 2002 vintage with some of the cut and salinity of the 2008 vintage—an undeniably winning combination.

Drink: now-2045