2011 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru

I came away from this dinner impressed by the restaurant, since the service and food had been exquisite, and with a higher appreciation of Chablis than ever before. If this evening set out to demonstrate the apotheosis of Chablis, then it is “job done.” These wines may actually have surpassed my high expectations.

Do you want the good news or the bad news? Raveneau's 2012s are stunning. That is the good news. The bad news is that yields are down a whopping 40%, which means these wines are going to be even harder to find than they already are. The Raveneaus suffered through a very difficult season where just about everything that could go wrong did, starting with spring frost and a poor flowering, both of which lowered production. Hail in July was followed by very hot weather in August that scorched some of the fruit and lowered yields even further. Readers who can find the 2012s should not hesitate. They are superb. The 2011s have turned as good or better than I expected based on my tastings from barrel. Lastly, its great to see Isabelle Raveneau, Bernard's daughter, taking on a greater role at her family's domaine.

Yields were held down here in 2012 by "lots of coulure," noted Bernard Raveneau in early June. "It's a small crop of very pretty wines--classic wines with a good balance of richness and acidity, a bit like 2008 and 2005." Acidity levels after the malos are in the 3.9 to 4.2 grams-per-liter range, with better tartaric acidity than in the previous year. Grape sugars were in the healthy 12.5% to 13% range in 2012, and the Raveneaus did not chaptalize their wines. The fermentations went well and the wines finished quite dry, Raveneau added, noting that the 2011 fermentations were more difficult. As usual, this visit was one of the highlights of my Chablis tour.

My visit with Bernard Raveneau was one of the highlights of my trip to Chablis earlier this summer. At their best, Raveneau's wines are contemplative and breathtakingly beautiful. I never miss a chance to drink them whenever I can. The 2011 harvest started on September 5th and lasted 6 days. Hail was an issue in some spots, most notable Les Clos and Montée de Tonnerre, where yields were down 25%. Raveneau adds that a measure of minerality is missing because of the late rains in the season. Raveneau thinks the 2010s have more character than the 2011s. The irregular flowering was most severe on the right bank (Clos and Mont de Tonnerre in particular), while the left bank, which was a week later to flower moved through the flowering with only a 10-15% reduction in yields, modest within the context of the vintage. Raveneau told me the 2010s were very austere at the outset. He thought they might stay that way, instead the wines softened considerably after the malos, which turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The 2010s were bottled end of May 2012, quite late by Chablis standards. As for the wines, they are pretty stratospheric. There is a sense of utter life and vividness in the 2010s that makes them utterly irresistible.

Bernard Raveneau's description of his family's 2011 reminded me of his comments many years ago about the 2000s. "The big rainfall in August raised the pHs in the wines and caused some dilution," he told me. "The wines are a bit facile, and acidity levels are modest. Two thousand eleven is a mishmash of 2006 and 2009." The 2010s here are richer but also quite pliant by the standards of this domain; most of the wines finished with close to two grams per liter of residual sugar due to the long fermentations and this element prevents even the Clos from coming off as austere. "We haven't had a high-acid vintage in a long time," Raveneau observed. The 2010 Montee de Tonnerre and the grand crus were scheduled to be bottled the week after my visit. By the way, the Raveneaus buy virtually all their barrels from Tonnellerie Chassin, having followed Stephane Chassin from his years at Seguin-Moreau.