2009 Chablis Les Clos
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
The 2009 Chablis Les Clos is striking in the way it saturates the palate in all dimensions with gorgeous inner perfume and layers of textured, brilliant fruit. Saline notes appear on the mid-palate and finish, giving the wine further intensity, focus and harmony. Hints of smokiness and crushed rocks wrap around the close. Here, too, the 50% oak is very nicely integrated. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029. This is an exciting set of wines from Benoit Droin, one of the generation of rising stars in Chablis. The estate farms nine hectares of vineyards. Benoit Droin told me his choice of when to start picking in 2009 was deeply influenced by 2006, a year in which he felt he waited too long. The 2009s were brought in beginning in early September. The wines were fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in steel and/or barrel, depending on the specific wine, as noted above. The 2010s, which I tasted from tank in their final blends, were among the highlights of my trip to Chablis. The 2010 harvest began on September 20th. Yields were down 30% on average. I also tasted a few older bottles, including the 2002 Valmur and 2004 Vaudesir, both of which were in great shape. Importer: Eric Solomon Selections, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
(13.5% natural alcohol): Pale color. Slightly reduced aromas of lemon, toast, smoke and oyster shell. Dense and firm but remarkably showy today, with harmonious acidity nicely framing flavors of stone fruits, spices and silex . This comes across as more open today than the Montee de Tonnerre owing to its volume. Finishes with impressive lemony lift and excellent energy.
Poised and dainty on the nose – less muscular than the Vaudésir; more depth, seemingly, but less weight. A lesson in the Chablis Grand Cru style. (RH)
Bright pale yellow with a green tinge. Complex aromas of citrus fruits, crushed stone, silex, licorice and mint. Dense and rich but reticent; mouthfilling but with a lighter touch than the preceding grand crus. Less large and more long in shape. Really vibrates on the saline, smooth finish, where the smoky, flinty character is more than strong enough to stand up to the 50% oak element. From a blend of 50- and 30-year-old vines, plus a bit of younger vines that Droin says brings added freshness to the wine.