2008 Domaine Louis Michel et Fils Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru

Crushed chalk, struck flint, bittersweet iris perfume, and pungency of grapefruit rind and juniper berry in the nose of Michel’s 2008 Chablis Les Clos mingle with rich nut oils and white peach on a bright yet subtly creamy palate, with liquid floral perfume, piquant peach kernel, chalk, white pepper, and citrus entering into dynamic interaction in a finish whose remarkable grip and enervation contrast strikingly with Michel’s equally wonderful Vaulorent of this vintage. Look for at least ten or a dozen years of excitement. I seriously underestimated the 2007 in my issue 186 report, incidentally, and would now rate it 94. Jean-Loup Michel and Guillaume Cicqueau-Michel have rendered an exemplary collection of 2008s, with their tank-elevage seemingly capturing the exuberance and refreshment of the vintage without paying any significant price in terms of depth and complexity. I suspect that the team’s reliance exclusively on spontaneous fermentation this year might well have contributed significantly to their success. Of course, I do not imagine based on ideology – much less insist – that spontaneous fermentation is always superior, just as I try to avoid any over-simplification of complex viticultural and vinificatory issues. In fact, I strongly suspect that it is the considerable extent of machine harvesting and exclusively tank upbringing of Louis Michel wines that leads many commentators to incompletely appreciate the consistently high level of quality that has since long before 2008 emanated from this address. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802