Wine Advisor
Pinson Freres, Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2014
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at the Burgfest annual tasting, Pinson's 2014 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos had an odd nose indicating that the fruit might well have been picked too late: quite rich with honeyed and yellow fruit aromas, then an underlying cheesy note. The palate is balanced with sour lemon on the entry, very bitter in the mouth and I find the finish very simplistic and one-dimensional for a Les Clos. The previous bottle was far superior than this and therefore I will not judge based on this example.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2014 Chablis Grand Cru les Clos was vinified 20% in new oak barrels and 80% in stainless steel, then 18 months maturation in one- to two-year-old oak barrels. It has a more exotic bouquet with peach skin and nectarine notes flourishing in the glass, nicely defined, if perhaps just missing a little detail. The palate is rounded and quite sensual on the entry, though it is very well balanced with a keen thread of acidity and gorgeous white peach, dried mango and spicy notes on the long and quite powerful finish. This is a very fine, quite sophisticated Les Clos that should age with style over 10-15 years.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(scheduled to be bottled in January of 2016): Quite tight on the nose, hinting at resiny oak. Then rich and complex on the palate if still youthfully backward, showing penetrating flavors of underripe pineapple, menthol, flinty minerality and flowers. Much more massive and less evolved than the 2014 premier crus here but fine-grained and not heavy; really stuffed with material. Boasts terrific energy to carry the fruit and spicy oak on the long, saline back end.
About the Producer
Domaine Pinson Freres, located in the Chablis region in the far north of Burgundy, France, has its roots in an old family of local winemakers. The vineyards at Binson Brothers are all located in the heart of Chablis and comprise 2.94 hectares of Chablis vineyards, 7.02 hectares of Chablis Premier Cru and 2.57 hectares of Chablis Grand Cru. The cold climate of the Chablis region contributes to the finesse of the wines and the brisk acidity of the region. The famous Kimmeridgian soils, rich in fossilised oyster shells, give the wines their full mineral flavour. In addition to the natural conditions, Benson Brothers also devotes a great deal of attention to the management of the vineyard, using methods such as Cuyo pruning, de-budding and green harvesting to control yields per unit and obtain more intense fruit flavours. The winery respects the terroir and refuses to use chemical herbicides and pesticides in its conservation efforts to reduce environmental damage. During the harvest season, all the grapes are harvested by hand in whole bunches to keep them fresh and intact. The grapes are screened twice after arrival at the winery. Out of a belief in terroir, the winemaking process at Benson Brothers is adapted to the plot and vintage in order to bring out the terroir of each plot. For example, new oak barrels are used for fermenting some of the grapes from the Premier and Grand Crus, while stainless steel barrels are used for the rest of the estate. The wines are aged for 9 months at village level, 12 months at first growth and 18-24 months at grand cru level. Benson Brothers has produced nine Chardonnay wines, including a fresh, mineral and floral Chablis white; a concentrated, fruity Chablis 1er Cru; and a rich, powerful Les Clos, a perfect expression of the Grand Cru terroir. The wines have been featured several times in specialist wine magazines such as Hachette Guild, as well as in international competitions such as the Decanter World Wine Awards.
