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Chablis les Clos (18 bottles) at the Lieu-dit Cru Blind White Burgundy Dinner
L2O - Chicago IL
Tasted July 15, 2013 by Burgundy Al with 859 views
Introduction
Our Chicago group gathered in the private dining room at L2O for our (almost) annual blind white Burgundy dinner. I brought all the wine, with a great theme - Chablis les Clos, one of my favorite white wine vineyards in all of Burgundy. Some great wines tonight, along with another wonderful meal by L2O.
Flight 1 - Champagne to start (1 note)
White - Sparkling
1988 Alain Robert Champagne Blanc de Blancs Reserve Le Mesnil
93 points
Magnum. Lemon and green apple aromas. Similar on palate with lots of lemon, lemon peel and some apple as well, lots of energy start-to-finish, Clean, long, precise finish. Still very fresh, very "1988."
Flight 2 - 2001 les Clos (3 notes)
White
2001 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
94 points
Tasted single blind in 2001 flight. Powerful and rich apple aromas with some mint and floral notes. Incredibly charming and accessible with lots of energy and great equilibrium. Ripe apple on palate, still very fresh. Impressive minerality.
White
2001 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
94 points
Single blind in 2001 flight. Green and yellow apple aromas with charming spice. Lots of power, density and a slightly backward concentration that gave this wine a brooding, thoughtful character. Firm but great balance, with upside potential from here. I was surprised when this was unveiled as the Fevre, given its density and longer-term potential for improvement.
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White
2001 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
92 points
Single blind in 2001 flight. Mature apple aromas and flavors with a bit of spice and earth. Well textured with good minerality. Moderate intensity and depth.
Flight 3 - 2004 les Clos (5 notes)
White
2004 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Clos des Hospices dans Les Clos
93 points
Single blind in 2004 flight. Lemon, lemon peel, rich spice aromas. Dense and rich orchard fruit flavors, again with very good spice. I liked this more than most other people did tonight.
White
2004 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
93 points
Single blind in 2004 flight. Lemon zest and floral aromas to start with lemon, lemon zest flavors, with lots of minerality and acidity. Not quite as good another bottle opened last year, seemingly slightly less powerful.
White
2004 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
90 points
Single blind in 2004 flight. Apple aromas and flavors with moderate depth and intensity. Good energy. Not quite as powerful or interesting as other times I've had this wine.
White
2004 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
96 points
Single blind in 2004 flight. For me, easy to identify as the Raveneau with its density and slightly brooding character. Lemon and lemon peel aromas with slight floral hints. Lemon and apple flavors, spice emerges quietly from middle to finish in the wine's burst of energy. Sensational now, I expect this will remain at this level or improve for the next decade.
Flight 4 - Dauvissat, slightly older (3 notes)
White
1987 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
79 points
Dark color, well past its peak drinking window. Ok when first poured, not interesting 5 minutes later.
White
1994 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
93 points
Rich and opulent apple aromas with subtle, sweet spice. Great textures with everything in harmony. Long and nuanced finish. Very impressive for the vintage.
White
2000 Dauvissat-Camus Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
93 points
Lush and intense fruit aromas and flavors. Plenty of ripe apple that is also slightly tropical for Chablis but very enticing with great concentration.
Flight 5 - Dauvissat, the ripe vintages (3 notes)
White
2003 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
90 points
Single blind in 03/06/09 flight. Ultra ripe, not classically Chablis-like to me, but very fat and pleasurable.
White
2006 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
92 points
Powerful and forward aromas with some ripe apple, peach and floral hints. Slight more reserved on palate but still on the lush side for Chablis. Good intensity and concentration, particularly on finish.
White
2009 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
93 points
Alluring floral start with apple, pear and lemon aromas. Ripe and powerful but nicely supported with great acidity and impressive minerality. Needs plenty of cellar time, with very good upside potential.
Flight 6 - Young Christian Moreau (4 notes)
White
2003 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
91 points
Single blind in Moreau flight. Lush and concentrated with plenty of apple. Still coming across as nicely energetic for the vintage.
White
2005 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Clos des Hospices dans Les Clos
Single blind in Moreau flight. Good fruit but came across as slightly tired to me tonight.
White
2007 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
Single blind in Moreau flight. Not quite as vibrant and energetic as I recall from when last tasted shortly after release. Good lemon and lime with spice hints. Larger scaled fruit with just modest energy and power on finish.
White
2007 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Clos des Hospices dans Les Clos
93 points
Single blind in Moreau flight. Beautiful floral start with ripe fruit aromas. Apple and peach flavors, followed by some lemon and lemon peel hints on finish. Ripeness is nicely offset and balanced by acidity and great minerality. Wonderful now, better in a few more years.
Flight 7 - Raiding Gary's cellar, late night (3 notes)
Red
Red
2000 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche
95 points
Great spice and perfumed start, accompanied by red and black cherry aromas, just slightly mature. Identical on palate, great spice in that unmistakably classic Dujac style.
Red
1995 Clos Erasmus Priorat
Maybe not the best place to end the evening drinking more subtle wines, this was dense, black, tannic and rather firm, but with lots of great fruit behind the wine's large-scaled structure.