2022 Joseph Drouhin Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru, Burgundy

Racy and laced with mineral flavors, most of this vintage was fermented and and aged in large oak barrels, none of them new. A bit steely but expressive, medium-bodied and tangy with lemon, grapefruit and kiwi fruit flavors on vivid acidity. Drinkable now, but better after 2028.

94 points jamessuckling.com

Joseph Drouhin Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru is a brilliant and ageworthy Chardonnay from the most prestigious Grand Cru vineyard in Chablis, showcasing the purity, power, and mineral depth that make Les Clos one of Burgundy’s greatest white wine sites. Joseph Drouhin, founded in 1880 and still family-run, is celebrated for its elegant, terroir-driven wines crafted with precision and respect for tradition. Their Les Clos bottling is sourced from old vines planted on the renowned south-facing slopes of the Grand Cru hill, where Kimmeridgian limestone soils and ideal exposure yield wines of remarkable intensity and finesse.

Les Clos is the largest and most famous of Chablis’ seven Grand Cru climats, positioned just above the town of Chablis itself. The vineyard’s steep slopes and thin, stony soils rich in marine fossils provide exceptional drainage and impart a signature chalky, saline minerality to the wines. Joseph Drouhin farms the site organically and biodynamically, harvesting by hand and vinifying with a light touch to allow the terroir to shine. The juice is gently pressed and fermented using indigenous yeasts, then aged for 12 to 15 months in mostly neutral French oak, with only a small proportion of new barrels to build subtle texture and complexity without overt oak influence.

In the glass, Les Clos shows a brilliant pale gold colour with green reflections. The nose is intensely pure and complex, offering aromas of white flowers, lemon zest, green apple, crushed oyster shell, and flinty minerality. The palate is powerful yet precise, with layers of citrus, stone fruit, and chalky depth supported by racy acidity. The finish is long, saline, and focused, leaving a lingering impression of energy and elegance. It’s a wine that embodies the essence of Grand Cru Chablis: structured, mineral, and built to evolve beautifully over time.

This wine pairs exquisitely with oysters, scallops, grilled lobster with lemon butter, Dover sole, or creamy seafood risotto. It’s also superb with aged Comté or fine goat’s cheese. While thrilling in its youth for its precision and brightness, it has the structure to cellar for 15 to 20 years, gaining layers of honeyed, nutty complexity with age.