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Domaine Francois Raveneau

2012 Domaine Francois Raveneau, Chablis Grand Cru, Les Clos

France Chardonnay Burgundy Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru 750ML

Wine Advocate

95-97

Vinous

96

Burghound

97

CellarTracker

95
/
2012 Domaine Francois Raveneau, Chablis Grand Cru, Les Clos
Domaine Francois Raveneau

2012 Domaine Francois Raveneau, Chablis Grand Cru, Les Clos

France Chardonnay Burgundy Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru 750ML

Wine Advocate

95-97

Vinous

96

Burghound

97

CellarTracker

95
/

0.5 hectares of old vines in the greatest vineyard of them all in Chablis. 45-year vines on average are hand-harvested and pressed into old barrels, then aged in feuillettes for about one year.

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A true legend of Burgundy, not just Chablis, Raveneau has made their name on whip-smart farming, hand-harvesting, but the house will cease at nothing to achieve perfection. The yields are microscopic as the vines are kept neatly trimmed to limit the number of clusters. In the cellar, all fermentation occurs in barrels and the wines are kept on the lees for a longer elevage. The old vines of Raveneau reward great patience, as with time these bottles only increase in greatness; follow the Aubert de Villaine rule of thumb here: drink within the first 5 years or don't touch them for another fifteen!

Domaine Francois Raveneau

In the mid-20th century, Francois Raveneau quietly assembled what became the backbone of the most legendary Chablis house we've ever known. What Francois realized and his children, Bernard and Jean-Marie have come to know is that the old vines should be preserved at all costs, as they are what sets this great domaine apart. Every winter, the vines are cut back greatly to reduce the amount of clusters per vine, so that the vines may concentrate all energy on fewer berries, thereby increasing the complexity further. Treatments are all natural in the vineyard, and the fruit hand-harvested to allow the finest grapes making it to the press without any damage.

In the winery, Bernard's daughter Isabelle oversees the winemaking; after pressing, the juice is allowerd to settle for 24 hours. From there, the fermentations will occur in barrel, where the resulting wine is allowed to remain on its lees and go through malo-lactic conversion. A year in feuillettes, barrels half the size of a barrique, will follow; these are not new at all (6-8 years' average age), as it is not to impart a wood flavor but a texture and allow better oxygen interchange.

All told, Raveneau is very much in the camp of DRC, Lafon, or any other producer whose reputation is bulletproof as a certified A-Lister beyond reproach. The only problem is that we can never get enough of these delicious wines that are splendid with food, and just as special to sit and ponder over.

Meet the Producer

Domaine Francois Raveneau

A true legend of Burgundy, not just Chablis, Raveneau has made their name on whip-smart farming, hand-harvesting, but the house will cease at nothing to achieve perfection. The yields are microscopic as the vines are kept neatly trimmed to limit the number of clusters. In the cellar, all fermentation occurs in barrels and the wines are kept on the lees for a longer elevage. The old vines of Raveneau reward great patience, as with time these bottles only increase in greatness; follow the Aubert de Villaine rule of thumb here: drink within the first 5 years or don't touch them for another fifteen!

In the mid-20th century, Francois Raveneau quietly assembled what became the backbone of the most legendary Chablis house we've ever known. What Francois realized and his children, Bernard and Jean-Marie have come to know is that the old vines should be preserved at all costs, as they are what sets this great domaine apart. Every winter, the vines are cut back greatly to reduce the amount of clusters per vine, so that the vines may concentrate all energy on fewer berries, thereby increasing the complexity further. Treatments are all natural in the vineyard, and the fruit hand-harvested to allow the finest grapes making it to the press without any damage.

In the winery, Bernard's daughter Isabelle oversees the winemaking; after pressing, the juice is allowerd to settle for 24 hours. From there, the fermentations will occur in barrel, where the resulting wine is allowed to remain on its lees and go through malo-lactic conversion. A year in feuillettes, barrels half the size of a barrique, will follow; these are not new at all (6-8 years' average age), as it is not to impart a wood flavor but a texture and allow better oxygen interchange.

All told, Raveneau is very much in the camp of DRC, Lafon, or any other producer whose reputation is bulletproof as a certified A-Lister beyond reproach. The only problem is that we can never get enough of these delicious wines that are splendid with food, and just as special to sit and ponder over.

The Wine Advocate

Wine Advocate

95-97

The 2012 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos has a lovely nose that takes a few minutes to open, revealing subtle notes of hazelnut, grilled almond and strong saline notes. The palate is beautifully balanced with citrus peel, dried apricot, a hint of lemongrass and a long praline-tinged finish that goes on and on and on. Stunning. Drink 2015-2028+ Though I have walked past many times and tasted their wines on many a pleasurable occasion, this was actually my first, and I hope not last, visit to the most iconic of Chablis producers. “Raveneau set the standards of excellence few aspire to,” wrote Rosemary George in her indispensable (and over-looked guide) to Chablis. Few would disagree with that sentiment, though I would never say that Raveneau is beyond reproach. Les freres Raveneau, Bernard and Jean-Marie presently run the estate and it was the former that opened the door in the Rue de Chichee, accompanied by his daughter Isabelle. Before commencing with the tasting that encompassed both 2013 and 2012, I asked Bernard about the differences between the two vintages. “The 2013 has been in barrel for around 6 or 7 weeks,” he told me. “We started the harvest on October 2, while the 2012 began on September 22. The 2013s are quite rich with slightly lower acidity than usual. The Right Slope wines are more tendu (taut) and interesting. We were a bit worried about the 2013s with regard to the quality of the grapes and the lack of acidity. They are not typical of Chablis, but they are very open and exotic. You find more minerality as you go up through the range, and vine age had an impact. There was 30mm of rain on Saturday, October 5 and it was so strong that the ripe berries fell off of the vine. The 2012 is completely different. It is more ‘Chablis’: perfect and very healthy grapes, small in terms of yield, around half the normal harvest. This was due to the spring frost, bad weather during flowering, a bit of hail and a lot of wind. Just before putting up the wires together we had a storm and a lot of the canes were damaged. There was a humid July with a lot of rain and so we decided to leaf pluck. Then there was a heatwave in August when the temperature was so high that some of the berries were burned. But in September, there were perfect conditions. There was slightly higher acidity in 2012 than 2013 but more homogeneity.” I then asked Bernard if there was a vintage he might compare 2012 to, and after consideration he suggested a mixture of the 1994 and 2001. N.B. Kermit Lynch informed me that they have not set the prices of either 2012 or 2013 at time of writing.

Vinous

Vinous

96

Pale yellow. Closed nose hints at a mineral sharpness, with floral and quinine notes in the deep background. Then chewy and very rich on the palate, displaying a wonderfully fine-grained texture to the elegant flavors of grapefruit pith, botanical herbs and saline minerality. A complete Clos with outstanding class and subtle lingering perfume. And not at all austere just after the bottling: will this shut down in the next several months?

What the Critics are Saying

The Wine Advocate

Wine Advocate

95-97

The 2012 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos has a lovely nose that takes a few minutes to open, revealing subtle notes of hazelnut, grilled almond and strong saline notes. The palate is beautifully balanced with citrus peel, dried apricot, a hint of lemongrass and a long praline-tinged finish that goes on and on and on. Stunning. Drink 2015-2028+ Though I have walked past many times and tasted their wines on many a pleasurable occasion, this was actually my first, and I hope not last, visit to the most iconic of Chablis producers. “Raveneau set the standards of excellence few aspire to,” wrote Rosemary George in her indispensable (and over-looked guide) to Chablis. Few would disagree with that sentiment, though I would never say that Raveneau is beyond reproach. Les freres Raveneau, Bernard and Jean-Marie presently run the estate and it was the former that opened the door in the Rue de Chichee, accompanied by his daughter Isabelle. Before commencing with the tasting that encompassed both 2013 and 2012, I asked Bernard about the differences between the two vintages. “The 2013 has been in barrel for around 6 or 7 weeks,” he told me. “We started the harvest on October 2, while the 2012 began on September 22. The 2013s are quite rich with slightly lower acidity than usual. The Right Slope wines are more tendu (taut) and interesting. We were a bit worried about the 2013s with regard to the quality of the grapes and the lack of acidity. They are not typical of Chablis, but they are very open and exotic. You find more minerality as you go up through the range, and vine age had an impact. There was 30mm of rain on Saturday, October 5 and it was so strong that the ripe berries fell off of the vine. The 2012 is completely different. It is more ‘Chablis’: perfect and very healthy grapes, small in terms of yield, around half the normal harvest. This was due to the spring frost, bad weather during flowering, a bit of hail and a lot of wind. Just before putting up the wires together we had a storm and a lot of the canes were damaged. There was a humid July with a lot of rain and so we decided to leaf pluck. Then there was a heatwave in August when the temperature was so high that some of the berries were burned. But in September, there were perfect conditions. There was slightly higher acidity in 2012 than 2013 but more homogeneity.” I then asked Bernard if there was a vintage he might compare 2012 to, and after consideration he suggested a mixture of the 1994 and 2001. N.B. Kermit Lynch informed me that they have not set the prices of either 2012 or 2013 at time of writing.

Vinous

Vinous

96

Pale yellow. Closed nose hints at a mineral sharpness, with floral and quinine notes in the deep background. Then chewy and very rich on the palate, displaying a wonderfully fine-grained texture to the elegant flavors of grapefruit pith, botanical herbs and saline minerality. A complete Clos with outstanding class and subtle lingering perfume. And not at all austere just after the bottling: will this shut down in the next several months?