Le Grand Clos Blanc 2019, from a cool, long, late, and ultimately ‘quite ripe’ vintage, overflows with dry extract and verve, and is rich, tight, and seamless. Remembering to taste this ‘Grand Vin’ just a little warmer than one might with other white varietals, one sees the complexity of the Chardonnay grape at its best through the terroir of the dolomitic limestone soils it is grown upon. The complex lemon and elegant marzipan purity on the nose makes one want to say: “this comes from WHERE?” Many cool climate Chardonnays do not have this class, this pinpoint focus and accuracy! Further flavour layers of stone fruit, elegant pear, yellow apple and the barely visible barrel ferment is expressed as an intoxicating spice. The glassine texture is seamless, lacy and with a lanolin-like viscosity. Fine and rich à la fois. Wow, such grace! This Grand Vin “goes” with so many things at the dinner table, one need simply follow one’s imagination! With greater vine age, we sense even greater delicacy, and yet, confoundingly, a greater weight that will certainly grow up around the wine in bottle.