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CHABLIS

2017 Grand Cru Les Clos Domaine Vincent Dauvissat

EN PRIMEUR
ChardonnayWhiteFrance,BurgundyChablisGrand Cru 13%Les Clos

There is more 'Marne Blanche' in the soil. which means the Les Clos is always bigger and broader than Vincent's other Grand Cru - Les Preuses.. And yes, blimey, this has profound weight and density. Impressive, but so light on its toes too. Bright and succulent acidity. Leaves this incredibly free-flowing despite the density and concentration. Firm fruit and lovely gentle spice. Just a lovely fresh, taut finish - so Chablis and so classic - like a masterclass. Wonderful.L&S (Oct 2018)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

The 2017 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru is another positively dazzling wine in Vincent Dauvissat's cellar. Powerful and deep, with seemingly endless layers of flavor that develop in the glass, the Clos is utterly mesmerizing from the first taste. Lemon confit, exotic white flowers and crushed rocks are some of the notes that develop. More than anything else, the Clos is a wine of total seduction and rapturous beauty. Don't miss it. Drinking range: 2025 - 2037 Rating: 98+ Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2020)

Seven parcels - four above the path and three below it - go into this classic expression of Les Clos, now, alas, reduced in volume because of replanting and inheritance. Broad, honeyed and powerful, it has a sappy, stony acidity. It makes a nice pair with Les Preuses. Drinking range: 2022 - 2032 Rating: 96 Tim Atkin MW - Decanter (Dec 2018)

(from 7 different parcels of 50+ year old vines that total 1.7 ha). I often prefer Dauvissat’s Preuses to his Les Clos but at this very early point, it appears that the Les Clos has the barest of edges though that of course may very well change with bottle age. The nose makes clear that it could be from nowhere else but Chablis with its cool array of iodine, oyster shell, mineral reduction and sea breeze whiffs that are punctuated by floral, citrus and pear scents. The ultra-sleek and almost painfully intense mineral-inflected big-bodied flavors possess first-rate power and punch before culminating in a sappy, hugely long and super-saline finish. Magnificent but note well that at least some patience required. 2029+ Rating: 93-95 Allen Meadows, www.Burghound.com (Oct 2018)

Very much in the savory zone with white mushrooms and a super chalky mouthfeel. This has roundness with almond pastry and light silky elements on offer. Dried flowers, too. The palate has a super round, long and juicy feel with a very concentrated peach and lightly spiced bread finish. Super deep, very even and long. Rating: 93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Aug 2018)

The 2017 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos is more powerful than the Preuses, offering up a more extroverted expression of fruit with notes of lemon oil and mandarin, mingling with nuances of beeswax, dried white flowers and iodine. On the palate, it's fuller-bodied and more textural, with chewy extract and substance but with bright balancing acids and a long, stony finish. For finesse and complexity, the Preuses has the edge at this early stage, whereas Les Clos leads in terms of mass and impact. Rating: 94-96 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Aug 2018)

The 2017 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru is perhaps more closed on the nose compared to the Les Preuses, at least on the day of my visit. It unfurls slowly with citrus lemon, flint and light undergrowth aromas. The palate is much more expressive with refined citrus fruit laced with spice, very harmonious with a palpable sense of energy towards the persistent finish. This might take longer to come around than the Les Preuses but it will be worth the wait. Pure class. Drinking range: 2027 - 2050 Rating: 94-96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Aug 2018)

A domaine of 12.7 hectares, comprising a hectare each of the Grands Crus Clos and Preuses, 3.7ha of Premier Cru Forest, 1.3ha of Vaillons, 0.4ha of Séchet, .3ha of Montée de Tonnerre, 3.3ha of Chablis, 1.1ha of Petit Chablis, and .6ha of Irancy (red).

Vincent Dauvissat remains one of the (if not the) leading lights of Chablis, and his wines are always in high demand and limited volume.

Vincent's grandfather Robert was the first to start bottling under the family name in 1931 and Vincent uses the same cellar today - but the family have been growing grapes here since the 18th century. Today his single-minded determination in the vineyard, where he follows biodynamic principles (without certification) followed by very subtle use of old oak barrels as part of a long élevage, produce some of Chablis' most age-worthy and fascinating wines.

Vincent advises drinking the Grands Crus either young, (within the first three years) or after 10 years when they are becoming fully evolved. Serve at 13C, so that the wine will warm up to about 15C before tasting - any colder masks the subtleties. He prefers to serve the wine directly in glasses rather than decanting it, so as not to miss the first nose and its evolution - with an old wine he advises simply smelling this evolution over the first half an hour before tasting.

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