2014 Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | JULY 05, 2022

Let’s be honest. White Burgundy remains a minefield for the average consumer. Prices for the most desirable wines are through the roof, and even paying these prices is no guarantee that wines will age and deliver the most magical experience that only fine, seasoned white Burgundy can deliver.

I admit, I ordered the 2014 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru from Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin with some trepidation, but it was especially fairly priced at Oswald’s, one of London’s most posh private clubs, and I love Chablis. My doubts were misplaced, as the 2014 was positively stellar. Then again, I remember Benoît Droin routinely opening older vintages when I used to visit, so maybe I should not have been all that surprised. Best of all, the Droin Chablis remains sanely priced in a world where so many bottles have simply become unaffordable to all but the most well-heeled wine lovers.

The 2014 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru from Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin is just a classic Clos. Bright, delineated and sculpted, the 2014 is aging very nicely. White flowers, mint, oyster shell, white pepper and a touch of orchard fruit run through this nervy, beautifully translucent Chablis. There’s terrific depth and structure, which gives the wine notable persistence, but no excess weight. At nearly eight years of age, the 2014 has at least another decade ahead of it. I revisited the unfinished bottle a few days later and found it still fresh and full of life. Readers fortunate enough to own the 2014 are in for a treat. I loved it. 95/Drink 2022-2032.

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