2011 Chablis Les Clos

The domaine’s 2011 Chablis Les Clos is bright, focused and articulate. White peaches, citrus, smoke and slate all blossom from the glass. In 2011, Louis Michel’s Clos doesn’t have the seductiveness of other versions, instead it is direct and powerful. The wine’s inner tension and minerality are likely to require several years in bottle to resolve. I can’t wait to taste this again in another year. Anticipated maturity: 2015+. (Not yet released) Guillaume Gicqueau-Michel describes 2011 as a synthesis of 2009 and 2010, with the fleshiness of the former and the tension of the latter. Yields came in around historical averages, as opposed to 2010, which was down 20% across the board. The 2011s were born with considerable flesh, and were therefore spent less time on their lees than normal, with the exception of the grand crus. I tasted all of the 2011s from tank. Michel planned to bottle his 2011 premier crus in October 2012 and the grand crus the following spring. By comparison the 2010s saw extremely long fermentations, partly because of the estate’s reliance on natural yeasts. Like all growers in Chablis in this vintage, Michel described the vintage as significantly influenced by a complicated flowering that lowered yields and produced a high incidence of shatter and shot grapes. The 2010 grand crus were bottled in mid-April 2012. I was surprised by how well the wines are drinking today. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802

Good bright, pale yellow. Musky aromas of grapefruit, pineapple, crushed stone, white flowers and quinine. Rich, dry and deep if not yet filled in, displaying lovely definition and mid-palate lift. A classic, rather powerful Clos with a bracing, long finish featuring spicy minerality and an impression of dusty extract. Maintains a lovely light touch.