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Domaine Garnier & Fils, Chablis Grand Cru, Les Clos

Burgundy, France 2014 (750mL)
$68.00
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Domaine Garnier & Fils, Chablis Grand Cru, Les Clos

Although the brothers who run Garnier & Fils are ascendant stars in Chablis, the prices for their wines have yet to catch up to their superior quality and pedigree. This is how it goes in historic wine regions like this: It takes time to build a reputation, and Xavier and Jérome Garnier (the fils in Garnier & Fils) only took over the family domaine in 1996.
They represent a new generation in Chablis focused on sustainable/organic vineyard management and wines that exhibit more depth of fruit expression at every rung of the quality ladder; at the Grand Cru level, there’s a richness and power in today’s wine that is simply incredible. Given the notoriety and size of the “Les Clos” Grand Cru, there’s plenty of competition out there—this wine’s leg up on most is its (a) very reasonable price and (b) profound depth of flavor and sumptuous texture. Lots of Chablis is forbidding when young, but this one is downright gregarious, albeit with plenty of structural underpinning for extended aging. It is, in short, a steal, but our quantities are severely limited as there was not much produced: We can offer up to three bottles per person today until our small allocation runs out.
The Garnier domaine has been in the family for decades, but they had long sold their produce to others before Xavier and Jérome came of age and decided to hang a shingle. Their vineyard holdings span 57 acres in an assortment of Chablis villages and include parcels in a multitude of Premier and Grand Cru sites. Although not certified, the Garnier brothers implement organic practices in their vineyards and are known for harvesting a little later than many of their peers; they also age their wines in wood, although the very large, used vessels do not impart any measurable wood character to the wines.

Les Clos is the largest and best-known of the seven Grand Crus of Chablis, a 27-hectare parcel on a perfectly pitched, south/southwest-facing slope of Kimmeridgian limestone and clay. That westward tilt exposes vines to afternoon (as well as midday) sun, ensuring optimal ripening of grapes in this still-cool climate. Les Clos consistently delivers the boldest, most generous examples of Chablis Grand Cru—and today’s ’14 from Garnier is true to form. The Garniers describe 2014 as a “low quantity, high quality” vintage; in our experience it was a very classic vintage for reds and whites alike, and in this case, the wine showed more forward fruit and accessibility than many ’14s we’ve tried at this stage. It is a pleasure to drink now when given time to open up, but I think there’s at least 10-15 years of graceful evolution ahead of it.

In the glass, Garnier & Fils’ 2014 “Les Clos” is a deep straw-gold extending to the rim, with an assertive nose melding notes of yellow apple, quince, salted lemon, acacia blossoms, fresh cream, white mushroom, and crushed stones. Medium-bodied and showing a lot of voluptuous texture on the palate, it nevertheless buttons up in classic Chablis fashion on the finish, with an oyster-shell salinity that makes you salivate. If enjoying a bottle now, which is eminently do-able, decant it 45 minutes before serving in Burgundy stems at 50-55 degrees. It is a serious bottle of wine that will most definitely reward cellaring, likely peaking on or around its 10th birthday; whenever you decide to pull the cork on a bottle, treat it right with a proper meal. This wine had me flashing back to some of the amazing grilled turbot I had while visiting San Sébastian in northern Spain; this isn’t the wine you’d be served there (unless you go visit my Burgundy-loving pal Amaiur at La Ganbara), but it would be an absolutely amazing accompaniment.
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceChablis - Grand Cru
Soil
Limestone
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Chardonnay
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
Neutral French and Stainless
TEMP.
50-55
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2030
Decanting
45 Minutes
Pairing
Grilled Turbot

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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