2012 Chablis Les Clos

The 2012 Chablis Les Clos is all about depth, intensity and tightly coiled minerality. Many years away from delivering its finest drinking, the 2012 is a rapturous wine that takes hold of all the senses and never lets up. The 2012 Clos has been magnificent on all three occasions I have tasted it so far. Readers who can find it should not hesitate, as it is superb. Patience is going to be key, though.

The 2012 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos, which comes from 1.7 hectares of 50+-year-old vine, has a much subtler bouquet compared to Les Preuses with hints of yellow flowers and damp autumnal undergrowth. The palate is extremely well-balanced with a touch of dried apricot and peach skin on the entry before being usurped by gentle spicy notes that lead to the tense finish. This is a lovely Les Clos, although Les Preuses is more exciting this year. Drink now-2022. Raveneau or Vincent Dauvissat? Cognoscenti seem to be split about which of these growers represent the pinnacle of Chablis, though frankly I would not complain if I found either in my glass. I have adored these wines for many years, though this was the first time that I had visited their small 16th and 17th century cellars. Vincent’s grandfather was one of the first to bottle his own wines in the 1930s, then Rene took over with his wife Madeleine and enhanced the domaine’s reputation until his retirement. Vincent told me that the first vintage that he participated in was the 1977 and that know-how had been passed down through empiricism, from father to son and so on. There are around 14 hectares of vine, predominantly premier cru. The 2012s bestowed a normal crop in terms of quantity, although 2013 was down to around 28 hectoliters per pectare, though Vincent emphasized that this was not catastrophic. “The crus had the same analysis in 2012. The terroir making the difference,” he said. He used around 10% to 15% of new oak, the rest a mixture of aged wood. Unsurprisingly, these were a set of quite sublime expressions of Chablis that leave you questioning whether it’s worth bothering with the rest of the tastings (which of course it is, but you know what I mean when you taste something that you are convinced will not be bettered.) These Chablis seem to be sculpted by the earth itself, exquisitely balanced and with more minerality than almost all of their peers. Even the village cru would leave other premier crus behind. The 2013s were unfortunately in an awkward stage, although I had a chance to taste a couple from barrel. I look forward to tasting them on my next visit. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802 Under the Dauvissat-Camus label, certain of these wines are also imported by Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel. (781) 352 1100; and Domaine Direct and Justerini & Brooks in the UK.

Bright lemon-yellow. Even brighter and higher-pitched on the nose today than the Preuses, offering scents of lemon, grapefruit pith and crushed rock. Compellingly pure and electric in the mouth, with its superb mineral density leavened by citrus and floral flavors. Boasts an uncanny combination of supple texture and sheer stony cut. The longest of all of these 2012s, with a vibrant crushed-stone finish that leaves the salivary glands humming. One of the greats of the vintage.