2002 Chablis Les Clos

The 2002 Chablis Grand Cru Clos is showing brilliantly and numbers among the high points of this tasting. Unfurling in the glass with a bouquet of ripe lemons, oyster shell, dried white flowers, beeswax and pastry cream, it's full-bodied, envelopingly satiny and layered, with superb depth at the core, succulent acids and a long, saline finish, distinguished above all by an ineffable sense of completeness. This is a spectacular Clos that has just arrived at early maturity.

Extremely pure, subtle aromas of grapefruit, lime oil and powdered stone; less smoky and more ethereal than the Valmur. Then extremely backward and rather inexpressive on the palate but already demonstrating extraordinary palate coverage and power. Like liquid stone in the mouth, but only hinting at the kaleidoscope of flavors to come with eight to ten years, or more, of bottle aging. A wine of incredible solidity; 30 seconds after spitting this wine (okay, swallowing it), I felt it was still in my mouth. Comparable in complexity, quality and structure to a great bottle of Le Montrachet.

Everything that was present in barrel made it into bottle. Aromatically discreet, backward and reserved yet there is an evident minerality that defines and characterizes this wine from start to finish and though this is ripe, the nose displays classic Chablis aromas of jaw dropping purity. The flavors are extremely powerful, precise, focused and tight with incredible depth and the extract both stains and coats the palate before the finish explodes in the mouth and simply goes on and on. This is knockout quality juice and I noticed that my notes contain the word wow! several times when I tasted this in Raveneau's cellar. A great, great effort and one of the top 5 wines of the vintage blessed with incredible cellar potential. Don't miss it! Allen Meadows, Burghound, Oct01,2004.