Winemaker Notes
Opulent notes of candied pear, wet straw, damp earth and ground coffee surround the soft and subtle mouthfeel.
Le Clos Blanc pairs nicely with full seafood (tuna, salmon, scallops) or with chicken either roasted or in cream sauce.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Crisp, cutting notes of Asian pear, lemon and yellow plum introduce this full-bodied but fresh-fruited wine. While fleshy on the palate and accented by hints of smoked nut, dill and hazelnut biscotti, it's a pure-fruited, richly concentrated wine that should drink at peak through 2030.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Beaune 1er Cru Grèves Le Clos Blanc (Domaine Gagey) is performing very well in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of pear, hazelnuts, clear honey, buttered toast and vanilla pod. Medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, it's gourmand but precise, with bright acids and a long, saline finish. Best after 2021.
-
Wine Spectator
A refreshing white, with ample peach, citrus, pastry and baking spice flavors, revealing velvety texture offset by vibrant structure. Charming and cruises to the long finish. Drink now
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
While the city represents the epicenter of wine production in Burgundy, the term, “Beaune” also refers to the specific sub-appellation of the greater Côte de Beaune, whose vineyards climb up the pastoral slopes that border the city to its west. Originally founded as a Roman camp by Julius Caesar, the city of Beaune eventually became the seat of the dukes of Burgundy until the 13th century. Today it is home to top négociants such as Louis Jadot, Joseph Drouhin, Louis Latour, and Bouchard Père et Fils.
The appellation, dominated by Pinot Noir plantings, represents a lovely and charming place to begin to understand red Burgundy. Its sandy soils create light and supple, floral driven Pinot Noir. These wines are designed to be enjoyed within five to 10 years. The vineyards of Beaune span a broad swath of Premier Crus from Savigny-lès-Beaune to its border with Pommard.
Chardonnay acreage here has been increasing here in the more recent years.