2008 Chablis Clos des Hospices
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Tasting notes
The barrel-matured Moreau 2008 Chablis Les Clos des Hospices – as usual, issuing from a single sweet spot in the Clos – displays smoky toasty notes from barrel that segue relatively harmoniously into the fusil crushed stone character associated with the terroir. Musky floral and blond tobacco notes add allure. This is not showing more than marginal heat and is plush and texturally seamless rather than in the least rough; nevertheless, one is aware of higher alcohol as well as more wood, especially when compared with the soaring elegance and levity of the corresponding Blanchots or relative cut and transparency of the “regular” Les Clos. This preserves stony as well as bitter-sweet length but hasn’t the juiciness, intricacy, or depth of its close sibling. I find it hard to doubt – given the superb quality of that “regular” Les Clos bottling – that the Clos des Hospices fruit, had it been vinified in the same manner, would have turned out spectacularly. Similarly, I find it hard to believe – nor have tastings of the few earlier vintages of this bottling altered my impression – that this will ever outgrow a certain awkwardness due to its wood. Christian and Fabien Moreau are among those fans of 2008 who think of the vintage as combining the best aspects of its two predecessors. “You just watched the grapes go rolling by on the table de trie,” remarks Christian Moreau, “without having to do any work.” However one conceptualizes it, results in 2008 are superb and to my palate the top wines are considerably more exciting than any I have previously tasted from this address. Fermentations were generally allowed to proceed spontaneously rather than being yeasted – and in consequence both alcoholic and malo-lactic fermentations of several lots lasted until April – which might account for some of the added complexity and refinement as well as effective digestion of their oak component that characterizes these superb wines. (The Moreaus’ effusive 2009s – from a vintage they compare with 2000 – finished fermenting a bit earlier, and were extremely promising when tasted this April, demonstrating that this domaine is on a roll.) Importer: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Pale yellow-straw. Less open on the nose than the "regular" Clos, offering hints of peach, almond, truffle and licorice, plus a steely aspect. Begins leaner, tougher and oakier than the Clos, with strong stony cut, then shows a more exotic aspect with aeration, as well as more oak spice. With its stony core and firm acidity, this wine has a serious structure and excellent grip. Also quite fine-grained but a bit youthfully disjointed today, with its finishing flavors currently a bit suppressed by its oak element (45% for the first several months of elevage It would be educational to compare these two versions of Les Clos two, five and ten years hence.
(this began entirely in oak but was moved to tank in February) Bright yellow. Outstanding musky complexity to the aromas of lemon, minerals, toast and smoke; smells almost sweet. More massive than the "regular" Clos, offering superb richness, sweetness and energy in the mouth, with little obvious sign of its history of oak. But this large-scaled grand cru is more muscular and less silky than the regular Clos. Finishes with terrific length, ripeness and verve.