Quintessential Premier Cru Chablis: Domaine de L’Enclos Chablis 1er Cru `Vau de Vey` 2023: one of Chablis most exciting domaines of the last decade, from another excellent vintage, drinking beautifully: case of six bottles delivered

90-92/100 Robert Parker
17/20 Jancis Robinson MW

Domaine de L’Enclos is one of the most exciting to emerge from Chablis in the past decade. This their delicious 2023 1er Cru Vau de Vey epitomises Chablis freshness and elegance, with that classic balance of minerality, seashell and steely fruit. This is our second vintage of this wine, and the 2023 more than matches the 2022. The Club Wine Tasting Panel agree, highly recommending this delicious wine—particularly at the Club price, again saving Members £10 a bottle on a wine which is already well priced.

The estate is owned by Romain and Damien Bouchard, a famous name in Burgundy, whose family have worked in Chablis for generations. In 2015, they sold their father’s négociant business but retained the 39 hectares of vineyard previously owned by their mother’s family. They bought a house in the heart of the town, named ‘L’Enclos’, originally owned by the monks of Pontigny. The brothers have transformed this property into a modern Chablis winery and they great emphasis on working their vineyards organically.

Chablis 1er Cru ‘Vau de Vey’ is considered among the best Chablis climats and the grapes for the Domaine de l’Enclos wine are from a 2.7-hectare parcel planted in 1979. The slope is steep and faces east/south-east—it is a cooler site as it receives the sun in the morning and is shaded by forest in the afternoon. Soils are classic Kimmeridgian limestone, packed full of fossils and imparting a marked minerality to the wine. The grapes are all hand harvested and the vineyard is certified organic—no chemical fertilisers or treatments are used.

The 2023 vintage was another to bring smiles to the faces of the Chablis producers—which is just as well as the 2024 is not such a success! The 2023 wines have excellent balance and expressive fruit character, and this Domaine de L’Enclos 2023 is a very good example. Unoaked, pale gold in colour, it unfurls a bouquet of vibrant citrus aromas, lemon and grapefruit, augmented by delicate hints of oak which bestow sophistication. Beautifully textured on the palate, a crystalline acidity carries the flavours on to the long, lingering finish.

Enjoy as an aperitif or pair with roast white meats including chicken, fresh seafood particularly meaty fish, halibut and cod, clams and scallops, also green vegetables including asparagus, and root vegetables. It works very well with delicately creamy sauces. Great with raw fish and sushi.

100% Chardonnay. Fantastic to drink now (drinking window now until 2033).

Case of six bottles: RRP £294 plus delivery. CCUK £219 including UK mainland delivery (courier surcharge for Highlands and Islands).

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