2005 Domaine Billaud-Simon et Fils Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru
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Tasting notes
Pale yellow. Reticent but pure aromas of yellow fruits, clove and hazelnut; I would have guessed there was oak influence here but it was done entirely in stainless steel. Big, rich and airy, with ineffable notes of stone and citrus fruits, crushed rock, dried almond and hazelnut. Broad, ripe and full but with an edge of acidity giving it definition and verve. The rising finish is very ripe and very long, with minerality currently covered by powerful fruit. I find this delicious already but it really calls for at least a few years of aging.
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(tasted from barrel, where the wine had recently been assembled) Minerals, iodine and nuts on the slightly oaky nose. Concentrated, ripe, sweet and full, with wonderful grand cru density of texture and fruit complexity. Distinctly fuller than the 2004. This reminded me of many young 2005s from the Cote de Beaune, in which sheer exuberant fruit and babyfat currently overshadow underlying minerality.
There's a hint of woodsmoke on the nose. Lots of acidity – painful acidity! – on the palate. Very dense though far from rich... (JR)