2023 Droin Chablis Les Clos Hommage a Louis
Grape
Chardonnay
Its Origins
"The Droins have been producing wines in Chablis for nearly 400 years (their history as vignerons goes back at least to 1620). Benoît represents the14th generation of Droins and is one of the most dynamic winemakers in the region. His father Jean-Paul put the domaine on the map. The domaine owns 13 hectares of vineyards and produces 14 different wines, including Petit Chablis, Chablis, 7 Premiers Crus and 5 Grands Crus. Benoît runs a more sophisticated operation from a large modern winery almost in the shadow of the grands crus. He has revised his pruning system and significantly reduced yields. In the cellar the principal change has been away from new oak. Each wine now gets the treatment which Benoît thinks is suited to its terroir. Thus Petit Chablis, Chablis, premiers crus Vaucoupin and Côte de Lechet, and grand cru Blanchots are all fermented and matured in tank. Vaillons, Mont de Milieu and Montée de Tonnerre receive 25 per cent of barrel fermentation and maturation, 35 per cent for Vosgros and Vaudésir, 40 per cent for Montmains and Valmur, peaking at 50 per cent for Fourchaume, Grenouilles and Les Clos. However the age of the oak and the choice of tonnelier may vary according to the cuvée. The maximum new oak is ten per cent in the grands crus. Droin says "I use less new oak now than I did 10 years ago; my feeling is that you don`t make your best wines in new oak barrels." Although these are rich, full-bodied, buttery wines, they still manage to retain a steeliness, raciness and purity of fruit which are the hallmarks of classic Chablis. " -- Jasper Morris MW
What The Critics Say
94/100 Vinous, Neal Martin
"The 2023 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru Hommage à Louis has the best bouquet amongst the Grand Crus from Droin. Very vibrant and intense, with crushed limestone and flint. The palate is well balanced with melon, grapefruit, orange rind and quince on the entry, building nicely towards a slightly oily-textured finish. I can see this aging well in bottle - more complexity on the finish compared to say, the Valmur or Grenouilles." Drink 2026 - 2040
92-95/100 Burghound, Allen Meadows (2022 vintage)
“Sharp-eyed readers will notice the absence of the Les Clos, or at least a wine so designated. You might well wonder why. The explanation is that INAO, which regulates all things vinous in France, has lodged a complaint against the domaine’s use of the lieu-dit Les Clos for one of its three parcels. They have done this because of a dispute over whether one specific parcel is actually within the boundaries of Les Clos. The sale documents when the parcel was acquired by Louis Droin in 1920 indicate the name “Au Clos, lieu-dit Les Clos”. INAO however is arguing that the parcel is actually part of Valmur even though every vintage between 1920 and 2019 have included this parcel and was declared as Les Clos! While the issue is being resolved, Benoît Droin has chosen to continue including this parcel and bottle what is in essence his Les Clos under the cuvée name Homage à Louis. I underscore that the cuvée is correctly being declared as a grand gru, because in Chablis it is possible to combine parcels from different grand crus while maintaining grand cru status, though the right to use a specific lieu dit is lost. This has more prominent smoky mineral reduction wisps are present on the more elegant aromas of acacia blossom, iodine and shellfish. There is outstanding size, weight and richness to the large-scaled flavors that coat the palate with sappy dry extract while a pronounced stoniness becomes apparent on the compact, built-to-age and beautifully long finish. This too is very good and should have no trouble repaying a decade or so of cellaring."
94/100 Decanter, Andy Howard MW (2022 vintage)
"A cuvée sourced from three plots ranging from cailloux-dominated soils to the east by Blanchot; blue-clay soils in the central area; and blue-clay/brown clay in the western plot beneath Valmur. Loads of spice, very powerful, a wine with great character and personality. Needs time to settle down but has lots of potential."
| Variety | Chardonnay |
|---|---|
| Region | Burgundy |
| Closure | Cork |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Maturity | 2026 - 2040 |
This Wine Goes Well With
Taste
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