Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos – 2015
-
Vineyard Profile
-
Domaine Laroche owns 1.12 hectares (2.77 acres) of the 25.81 hectares (63.78 acres) of Les Clos grand cru vineyard. Les Clos is located straight in front of the village of Chablis at an elevation of 139 to 166 meters (456 to 545 feet) with a southern exposure. This favorable sunny exposure allows the grapes to achieve excellent ripeness.
- Definition: This vineyard was once completely surrounded by a stone wall, hence the name “Les Clos,” meaning “enclosure” or “walled vineyard” in Burgundy. Monks from the influential Abbey of Saint Martin at Tours planted vines here in the ninth century.
- Viticulture: One man, one plot: There are more than 30 people who are dedicated to caring for the 90-plus hectares (222.39 acres) of Domaine Laroche vineyards, with each person responsible for only one plot. This tailor-made approach allows them to manage the vineyards with precision, speed and accuracy. Everyone at Domaine Laroche practices “lutte raisonnée,” or “reasoned protection,” (using chemical intervention only when required): The vineyard is plowed to aerate the soil and encourage development of the root system, as well as the organic life in the soil. Vines are pruned and trained by hand, with a strict pruning and debudding regimen. Leaf plucking occurs to aerate the canopy and avoid the development of botrytis, while trellising aerates the grapes and provides them with favorable exposure.
- Vine Age: Planted 1969, 1987
- Clones: Sélection massale
- Soil: Les Clos’ well-draining soil means that water retention in the vineyard is quite low, causing the grapes to be concentrated in both aroma and acidity.
-
-
Vintage Report
-
If 2015 was an early vintage, we cannot speak about a solar vintage, as was 2006, as it possesses a serious acid vertebral column. The tasting of juices straightaway showed a lot of balance and the delicacy, an impression confirmed after the fermentation where we found precise mouths, without heaviness, and aromatic white flowers. Wines show a beautiful acidity and a concentration which remind those of 2005.
-
-
Vinification
-
-
Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay
- Alcohol: 12.5%
-
Tasting Notes
-
Appearance: Bright yellow/green color
Aroma: The influence of this exceptional terroir appears in the pure mineral character and the intensity of aromas
Taste: Restrained at first, this grand cru offers finesse, complexity and superb length. Deliciously fresh and intense now. Les Clos can last up to 20 years with great improvement.
-
Images
Reviews
-
Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos – 2015 – 94 points – Wine & Spirits
“Juicy apple and lime ... meets lees-driven tension, giving this wine a bold first impression. The umami leesiness needs time to meld into the fruit, but the wine has stature and staying power ... to age into a beautiful grand cru Chablis."
-
Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos – 2015 – 92+ points – Wine Spectator
"...There are notes of green apple and chalk and a touch of dried quince in the background, although it needs to show more vigor and authority. The palate is better, with hints of toffee apple and quince on the entry, well judged acidity and flirty flecks of white peach and nutmeg toward the long finish..."
-
Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos – 2015 – 92 points – Vinous
"...Pale yellow. Reticent but pure scents of pineapple, white pepper, caraway seed and crushed stone, with the oak element nicely integrated. Tactile, rich, seamless wine with a restrained sweetness to its fine-grained lemon and saline mineral flavors. Showing less volume but more inner-mouth tension than the La Réserve de L'Obédience..."
-
Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos – 2015 – 95 points – Decanter
"Restrained apple and green pea nose. The attack is marked by good acidity that gives tension and bite, and although the fruit is subdued now the persistence is admirable. Elegant and very long."