'Les Clos x Valmur'

Product information

Jean-Paul et Benôit Droin Grand Cru ‘Hommage à Louis’ 2020

Chardonnay from Chablis, Burgundy

$296

$286ea in any 3+
$276ea in any 6+
Closure: Diam

Description

One small change to note this year is the change in name from the Grand Cru ‘Les Clos’ to Grand Cru ‘Hommage à Louis’. This comes about because of an administrative discrepancy.  The French customs claim that this parcel is part Les Clos and part Valmur, which is at odds with the INAO, the appellation authority, which has declared it Les Clos since 1938. Apparently it will take a little time to resolve the dispute, but in the meantime Benoît refuses to split the parcel and has instead renamed it after Louis Droin, who planted the disputed parcel in 1920, to appease the customs. Classic French bureaucracy gone mad!


Here too the nose is largely dominated by notes of smoky mineral reduction, acacia blossom, citrus rind and soft wood. There is excellent intensity to the admirably pure middle weight plus flavors that exude an inviting salinity on the detailed and hugely long finish that presently displays a hint of sweetness that I don’t expect to last. This is potentially terrific.

Burghound

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Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Check out all the Chablis!

Back in the early naughties, we were hoovering Chablis from the early 1970’s. When the Tsunami hit, wheelbarrows of Grand & 1er Cru’s were arriving from the auction houses at around $14 a bottle. By the time it receded, after everyone else had caught on, they were up at around $40 a bottle and still a bargain. Purity, complexity, amazing texture, lovely lines of acid were the hallmarks of these incredible wines. Testut et Fréres Grenouille featured! Such a great vineyard.

People often cite Domaines Raveneau and Vincent Dauvissat as the two greatest exponents of Chablis, however, I would like to add a third – Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin. Over the last five or six years, Benoît Droin has really ratcheted up the quality. I cannot exaggerate how often Droin’s wines end up the best of the flight during the annual “Burgfest” blind tastings. Again and again, they shine against stiff competition. It is time to accept that Droin is now one of the leading producers in Chablis. Neal Martin

The Droin family has been collecting small holdings in all the top premier and grand cru Chablis vineyards since 1620.  Over the last 400 years they have played an important role in shaping Chablis’ wine production and local politics throughout their existence. Jean-Paul was one of the first to introduce oak aging to the region in the 1980s, a transformative innovation. In 1999 Benoît, Jean-Paul’s son, took over as winemaker and the domaine has since flourished. His meticulous vineyard management with severely restricted yields and careful élevage of the individual cuvees afford the attention to detail required for greatness.  Benoît’s artistry in the winery and careful stewardship of their outstanding collection of small vineyards has long ago elevated the family domaine to the very top of the Chablis tree. The Droin style is one of purity and transparency, coupled with powerful concentration and deep minerality.

The 2020 Vintage at Droin

From Burghound:

Benoît Droin told me that 2020 was “once again a complicated growing season to manage and once again for a variety of reasons. We managed to mostly dodge some April frost damage and then hoped that the over 100° F temperature we had on the 29th of July didn’t sunburn all the fruit. Thankfully there wasn’t much disease pressure though thankfully we had just enough rain in August to enable the vines to finish ripening the fruit. I chose to begin picking on the 25th of August, which is incredibly early when you think about it but it may just be the new normal. The fruit was exceptionally clean though there was less volume than I had hoped as yields were in the 40 to 45 hl/ha range with very good potential alcohols of between 12.5 and 13%. The acidities are adequate, which is to say better than in 2018 but a bit lower than they were in 2019. Stylistically, the 2020s remind me of the 2017s, particularly for their fruit.” I found the Drouin 2020s overall to be very good, particularly at the grand cru level, if perhaps not quite as outstanding as what I usually find here. 

Chablis Geology & Geography Explored

Detailed Map of Chablis

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92-95 Points

Here too the nose is largely dominated by notes of smoky mineral reduction, acacia blossom, citrus rind and soft wood. There is excellent intensity to the admirably pure middle weight plus flavors that exude an inviting salinity on the detailed and hugely long finish that presently displays a hint of sweetness that I don't expect to last. This is potentially terrific. Drink: 2030+

Allen Meadows, Burghound

Where in the world does the magic happen?

Jean-Paul et Benoit Droin SCEV, Avenue Jean Jaurès, Chablis, France

Chablis
Burgundy