Petit Chablis has an image problem. Its as if instead of Little Chablis the translation was more like Crappy Chablis. If the name of the appellation made no reference to Chablis, it would, we believe, simply be considered a lovely expression of Chardonnay, even if slightly rounder and less mineral than Chablis, that gives excellent value. Would any California winemaker be part of an appellation called Not Quite Napa? Anyway, this particular Crappy Little Chablis is made by Vincent Dampt, a third-generation winemaker working alongside his father at the highly-regarded Domaine Daniel Dampt et fils in Chablis. He gained experience outside his family by working in vineyards in Beaune, Jura, Puligny–Montrachet (with Leflaive) and in the Marlborough region in New Zealand but in 2002 he returned to the family’s vineyards. In 2004 he inherited a few small plots enabling him to create his own sustainably-farmed estate, Domaine Vincent Dampt. The vines in his Petit Chablis vineyards grow in limestone and clay with lots of stones, which when coupled with very low yields and skilled winemaking and no oak, means this Petit Chablis is clean and bright with apple, pear and lemon fruit, medium body and a long finish.