Clos and Clos: The OC Does Les Clos and Clos St Jacques

Marche Moderne, Costa Mesa CA
Tasted Saturday, January 28, 2012 by Frank Murray III with 956 views

Introduction

The genesis for this idea came from Mr Nordhoff one day up in Sonoma, as we kicked around an idea to start pooling our resources and the group's passion to work our way through some burgundy adventures. This idea of "Clos and Clos" was a play on words but in truth, quite intentional as these are two plots of prestige. Les Clos is regarded by some to be the best Grand Cru on the Chablis hill and the Clos St Jacques has been argued to be a deserving player in the Grand Cru mosaic of the Nuits, yet without this distinction it argualy sits at the pinnacle of the best 1er Crus under cork. In pursuit of understanding these themes, we put together this tasting. The wines were poured blind and were known in total by Steve, to a lesser degree I knew them too, and we poured then blind. As for the food, Marche Moderne has been a consistent dining choice of mine for a # of events the past few years, including a dinner for Wells Guthrie of Copain and then another event for Jim and Gloria Mack of Jemrose. Why I like Marche is that they have consistently built us great menus, conceived and prepared by Florent. The setting and ambience is terrific, and for me represents the best of what Orange County can do with fine dining without gutting the wallet. My wife and I dine here usually twice a month and I have high regard for them, especially the coq au vin, which is just an amazing dish.

Flight 1 - Champagne (1 Note)

Flight 2 - Les Clos and Big Eye Tuna (4 Notes)

Big Eye tuna poisson cru with cucumber, fresh cilantro and lime-coconut vinaigrette

  • 2000 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Flawed

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

    I did not get to taste this but I was told it was not put to the table for the flight as it was oxidized badly. We did have the 2004 in the same flight, which drank just fine.

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  • 2008 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

    Sea shell palate, lime, granny smith apple, lots of marine-like notes, and nice acidity too. My WOTF (beating the 09 of this same wine, and the 08 Dauvissat). Really good.

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  • 2008 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

    This was my bottle submission for the dinner. Of all the Chablis in the dinner, this was the tightest. I gave it about 4 hours of air, perhaps it could have used more but in total, this wine is just too young at this point. It shows mostly at this stage a big cut of minerality, a stoniness. Some zippy lemon but quite lean. Will need another 5-7 years once some of the minerality softens.

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  • 2009 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

    Tasted blind within a flight that also included the 2008. This 2009 is just a bit more richly styled than the 2008, which left me appreciating the 2008 a lot more, which it legitimately derserves. This 2009 shows lemon-lime, honey, sweeter apple (I put pie crust along side my apple note but I am not certain about wood elevage for Brocard) and spearmint. I'll need to taste and find some more 2009 Chablis but the few I have had to date so far have not left me all that jazzed up.

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Flight 3 - Les Clos and Lobster (4 Notes)

Gratin of lobster and langoustine with chanterelle mushrooms, bisque of lobster au Noilly-Prat

  • 2000 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

    Lemon, has a viscuous palate feel, big marine notes, complex and spicy yet very youthful still at this stage. Over 10 years old now, no oxidation at all and really beautiful. My WOTF, beating the 97 and 95 Dauvissat, as well as the 04 Fevre--all Les Clos. Worth finding again.

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  • 1995 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

    Dried herb, what seemed like a cool dill note to me. Although the wine showed a little bronzy in color sitting in the glass, it did not to me reflect or give off any oxidation, which is impressive for tracking towards 20 years from vintage. Honey and lemon-lime, with a creaminess, yet showing acid and stone still at this stage. Drinking great and shows that some white burg can avoid the premox problem and exhibit the lovely qualities of aged Chablis.

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  • 2004 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

    Nice, lemony with good acid and length. The fruit is a bit on the tropical side but also still youthful in tone.

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  • 1997 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

    Tasted in the same flight that included the 95 and 00. This 97 is aging more quickly than both of those, and of course it is simply older than the 00 but I think that wine will go much longer in total than this 97. Good palate, which shows lemon, what seemed to me to resonate of pineapple, showing a some bronze in the color and some caramel. These 2 latter features are what lead me to my comment about aging, and this is a drink now Dauvissat.

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Flight 4 - Clos St Jacques and Pork Belly (4 Notes)

Carmelized pork belly with liquid potato paremesan

  • 1985 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Domaine Louis Jadot

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

    Initially, the had a funky note in the glass when poured but within a few mins, this release away. Still has a good core of forward fruit and also meaty. Later, with more air it started to show some sour cherry and reflect it had to me some good life ahead of it. Pretty damn good for almost 30 years old.

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  • 2001 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Vieille Vigne

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

    Aha, my winner of the flight and for some at the dinner, the WOTN. For me, this was close to being the WOTN, but I simply felt the 06, which was poured in the flight following, was overall better and my WOTN. Yet, this 01 is really beautiful, with a bright red fruited core, rocky and my notes say "fresh". Roses, brightly expressive and just a wow wine. Tremendous.

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  • 1990 Dominique Laurent Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

    The nose seemed oaky to me. Not overpwering or anything to that degree but the wood tones I noticed had that cologne-like signature. The palate seemed richer too, like a framboise. Blueberry and raspberry, with at the end also included a bit of celery stalk. A bigger styled wine, that is kind of an oddity at 20 years old.

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  • 1996 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Domaine Louis Jadot

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

    Black cherry fruit and what I noticed a few times in retasting the wine, a bretty/barnyard note. I made the comment a couple times but I don't think others agreed. This bottle lacked subtlety, was more brawny and heavier in tone, again with the black cherry fruit. I ranked this as last in the flight, bested as well by the 85 which was tasted in the same flight. Not a bad wine but the least interesting of the 8 CSJs we had over the two flights. I own one bottle of this, which I will simply lay down, forget about and let it age some more and see if it will soften and add some complexity. Not sure.

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Flight 5 - Clos St Jacques and Jidori Chicken (4 Notes)

Jidori chicken en paupiette in white and black truffle jus and a stuffing of guanciale prosciutto, apples and chestnuts

  • 2002 Sylvie Esmonin (Michel et Fille) Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

    Poured from magnum. This seemed more oaked and riper crafted than all of the other CSJ wines we had in both flights. Has the cologne/oak aromatic richer dark fruit and a jammy raspberry flavor. Seemed more like CA than CSJ.

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  • 1999 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

    Long finish, with mint and a hint of chocolate. Shows strawberry, fresh and spicy in tone, with a dabble of blue fruit mixed in, too. This was very good but it simply got bested on this night by Fourrier's CSJ, both the 01 and 06.

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  • 2007 Domaine Bruno Clair Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

    Of the 8 CSJ wines, this was the tightest. Probably no surprise since it was the youngest too of the 8. Tight and stony, with lots of tannin. Black cherry, sour cherry with a rocky mineral finish. Will need many years to sleep but I'd like to try some of the older Clair CSJ to see what they look like.

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  • 2006 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Vieille Vigne

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

    My WOTN, poured as the last wine of the last flight, a fitting end for sure. Dark cherry, pure mineral and tannin in the finish, just great balance and acid. Really, it's hard to argue anything wrong with this wine as for me, it showed and displayed everything about pinot noir in a bottle that is so right. Tremendous, and just for me a hair better than the 01, which was tasted during the same dinner. Damn, Fourrier has got his game dialed in and I just fear the wines will get more and more expensive. Makes the GC VV seem still like the way to go, but I'll need to squirrel some bucks aside and find some of his CSJ stuff and lay it down. Bravo.

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Flight 6 - Griottine Cherries (1 Note)

Black forest macaroon of griottine cherries

  • 2001 Château Suduiraut

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    This was very good, went terrific with the black forest macaroon. Deep flavors, stone fruits and lovely lithe balance with acid to keep it fresh. Really nice.

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