As long time followers of this Blog are aware your scribe with lots of learning experience is a passionate admirer of Chablis. Many postings including links here of August 28, 2023, June 1, 2020, and September 4, 2017. The first two provide vintage assessments back to 2007 and the last one describes the Grand Cru vineyards in some detail with the fine distinctions between them. Two years ago at the Vancouver Tastevin Paulee many fine examples with the 2014 Les Clos Domaine Christian Moreau (DCM) edging out 2020 Moutonne Long-Depaquit & 2010 Les Clos Domaine William Fevre (DWF). An exciting Summer event on July 29, 2025 at Blue Water Cafe of the Vancouver Group of Eight with spouses provided another opportunity for a Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru vertical update. Some impressions on the two flights served plus 3 other vintages of Les Clos DCM tasted this past month totalling 11 notes:
We started with an exquisite 2012 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL ROSE CHAMPAGNE of 56PN/44C with 15% oak ferment & saignee method colour on a perfect plateau rounded and silky full rich body with delicate finesse + class. We finished with 1983 CHATEAU BRANE-CANTENAC MARGAUX better than their 1982 with mature open complex bouquet but drying with prominent acidity on the finish more welcome when paired with a superb chicken supreme course. Also dark gold 1990 CHATEAU RIEUSSEC SAUTERNES forwardly apricot honey sweet and powerful – almost very ripe peaches like the appropriate dessert.
2022 CHABLIS LES CLOS DCM: Young look with clean fresh more Macon-like Chardonnay fruit. Excellent but softer juicier rounder textures than the old classic vintages coming together more forwardly with less apparent high acidity. Easy & delightful already but with some future. Consumer friendly. Buy 2022 instead of riper large crop 2023 & less successful 2024. 2023 had more Summer rains than 2022 with more potassium in the grapes that increases the pH therefore with less typical Chablis distinctive acidity tartness.
2016 CHABLIS LES CLOS DCM: Frost & hail issues. Bottle variation with one showing pre-mox and the other better but still needed to drink currently. Ready to enjoy now from a mixed variable year.
2014 CHABLIS LES CLOS DCM: Brilliant green tinged so bright and vibrant. Still so young and balanced. Pure intriguing mineral complex bouquet just starting to develop. Outstanding structure and long aging potential with finesse & delicacy. Clearly the wine of the flight. Not convinced Raveneau or Dauvissat is better than this. What a vintage! What a wine!
2005 CHABLIS LES CLOS DCM: Full excellent year is better for Burgundy reds than whites. Bottle variation here too. One maderizing but other drinking on a beautiful aged mature plateau but lacks the energy vigour zip of unique best Grand Cru Chablis.
2020 CHABLIS LES CLOS MAISON JOSEPH DROUHIN-VAUDON: Deeper darker look yet balanced but seems “sweeter” in style than the others. Prefer 2020 DCM over this showing more structure and balance.
2014 CHABLIS LES CLOS DWF: That 2014 vintage is again sensational here. Fun to compare with the 2014 DCM. Similar young look. This has less nose but a fuller richer body but perhaps less elegant. Both great indeed for unlimited exciting future development turning into the best Chablis vintage ever! Patience required for top award.
2012 CHABLIS LES CLOS DOMAINE LAROCHE: Unusual odd skunk cabbage or cider apple juice nose. Strange, unattractive and outclassed here. Big fan of Michel Laroche & his wife Gwenael old Chablis but sold the Domaine Laroche in 2010. There are much better wines being produced by DL over the last 10 years.
2010 CHABLIS LES CLOS DWF: Younger colour than 2020 & 2012 but more yellow than 2014. Open complex true Les Clos bouquet impresses. Intense perfection. These two bottles of the reduced crop 2010 have really developed and reached a higher level than 2 years ago now at 15 years of age while 2014 is still more closed in and slowly advancing. This was a deserving group favourite for tonight. Delicious.
2015 CHABLIS LES CLOS DCM: Hail storm September 1st complicated the harvest. Always enjoy this wine as it is so full, rich and ready. Super bottle on July 31 with fresh Alaska Sockeye Salmon steak was a marvellous matching. Way better than 2016. Not the steely acidity of 2014 or liveliness of 2017 but should hold on this wonderful high plateau for some time. Enjoy.
2012 CHABLIS LES CLOS DCM: Late flowering and dry Summer with harvest rains. Good structure. Your scribe has been drinking 2012 up over the past two years with pleasure but not in the same class of 2014 or 2010.
2010 CHABLIS LES CLOS DCM: Another beauty having the advantage of vintage age over the other younger ones. Shows off the well situated prized site of stones + white clay (very little marl) with dense Kimmeridgian limestone. Close in quality to the wonderful DWF and both capture that special Les Clos mineral terroir combining power with acidity balance. Only in Chablis! My two fav vintages of 2014 & 2010 shine brightly yet again! What a treat.
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