Domaine Louis Michel
Today, I bring good news and bad.
Recently, a friend living in Chablis phoned, apologizing that it had taken so long for him to get back to me. He’d been busy with the harvest, which he described in one word “Catastrophe!” You never like to hear that word! Sadly, I've heard many words describe the 2024 vintage, none of them good. In fact, one person said that 2024 might be “the worst vintage in the last 50 years!” That may be a bit of a stretch, but the wet summer has caused tremendous disease pressure, which has resulted in losses in the range of 40-90%, if you were able to salvage anything at all.
Now that we have the bad news out of the way, the good news is that the 2022 vintage could be one of the finest! In viticulture it is always difficult to predict what the next year brings, which has shaped my buying philosophy to pile into the good vintages when you can!
“These are among the best this domaine has produced.”
I got my first glimpse of Louis Michels wines at the beginning of last year. The style is always one that focuses on freshness as the wines are aged 100% in stainless steel. There is a purity and mid palate richness that is reserved for the very best years. These 2022’s from Louis Michel have that quality and then some. I’ve been selling these wines for a very long time - these are among the best this domaine has produced.
Chablis has long been our go-to spot for white burgundy. The citrus leaning aromatics with sea breeze influence is a wine style for which I never tire. It's a versatile wine; enjoy it on its own or pair it with so many dishes. Factor in the price compared to the neighbors 100km to the south - there is no comparison, as Chablis offers tremendous bang for the buck.
After those two calls in such close proximity, when I saw my supplier flash a nice parcel of Louis Michels 2022’s at the same price I paid 4 months ago - I didn’t hesitate to grap it all! These are solid wines of exceptional quality and come with my highest recommendation.
A more elegant, airier and more floral-suffused nose combines notes of spiced pear and enough Chablis elements to be more than just interesting. The refined, delicious and caressing middleweight flavors possess very good punch on the firm, balanced, moderately dry and bitter lemon-inflected finish. This markedly stony effort is also quite good and worth considering.
- Burghound, 91-94 Sweet Spot
From the Chapelot sector. Mid lemon yellow. the nose is much more backward than Vaulorent though with power. Picked 6th September at 12.5%. Plenty of guts to this, a more austere stoniness on the second half of the palate, no shortage of fruit, becoming just a little more opulent at the finish. Drink from 2027-2035. Tasted: June 2023.
- Jasper Morris, 91-94
The 2022 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre ler Cru has an attractive bouquet with touches of frangipane infusing the citrus fruit and hints of dried orange peel coming through with time. The palate is well-balanced with a waxy-textured opening. Gild delineation, quite saline, with a twist of sour lemon dovetailing into a slight nutty/smoky note on the finish. One of the finest Premier Crus from Louis Michel.
- Vinous Media 92-94
A restrained if vaguely exotic nose grudgingly offers up its aromas of white peach, citrus confit, lychee and quinine. There is fine intensity to the equally well-detailed and even more mineral-driven middleweight flavors that exhibit very good persistence on the balanced and nicely dry finale. This highly refreshing effort could use better depth so again, a few years of keeping should prove beneficial.
- Burghound, 91-93
The 2022 Chablis Séchets ler Cru has a lovely bouquet with orange blossom plus touches of beeswax that gains intensity with aeration. The palate is well-balanced, with a lightly spiced entry and fine depth. It is quite saline in the mouth, with a slice of sour lemon lending tension towards the finish. One of Louis Michel's more complex and intellectual Premier Crus this year.
- Vinous Media, 92-94
Pale lemon yellow. The bouquet suggests that the Forêt will have a little more flesh on the bones than the more austere Montmains. Floral notes as well as ripe apples. A light citrus rinse at the back, and no reductive character. Drink from 2025-2030. Tasted: June 2023.
- Jasper Morris 90-93
Ripe yet fresh and bright aromas are comprised by notes of citrus, sea breeze and more prominent mineral reduction nuances. There is better volume if less refinement to the dense and vibrant medium weight flavors that flash focused power on the lightly stony, rich, delicious and zest-inflected finale. This too would benefit from developing better complexity so a few years of keeping should prove helpful.
- Burghound, 89-91
