Among the two hundred or so producers we work with in France and Italy, perhaps no one has transformed their domaine as comprehensively—and tastefully—in the last fifteen years as brothers Arnaud and David Lavantureux. Since joining their father Roland, who produced excellent village-level Chablis and Petit Chablis for decades, Arnaud and David have added a handful of beautiful single-vineyard, premier cru, and grand cru cuvées to their lineup, quickly turning 4 Rue Saint-Martin in Lignorelles into one of the region’s most ambitious addresses. But rather than simply acquire holdings in the appellation’s most prestigious terroirs, they’ve been more creative, identifying vineyards throughout Chablis full of extraordinary promise.
     Take the Vauprin vineyard, which Roland had, for years, blended into the family’s classic village Chablis. While he was at school in Beaune in the late 2000s, Arnaud cleverly discerned that Vauprin, with its high elevation, steep incline, and dramatic diurnal shifts, had its own incredible potential and began isolating it. Today, with its beautiful harmony of marine essence, generous fruit, and minerality, this single-vineyard bottling exceeds many of the region’s first-rate premiers crus.
     Another example is the long-overlooked premier cru Vau de Vey. Years ago, Roland sold two hectares of his very steep Vau de Vey holdings because the land was hard to work and, at the time, didn’t guarantee full, even ripening. Galvanized by the unique challenges of this overlooked vineyard—and excited by its potential—his sons recently decided to reinvest in one hectare of Vau de Vey, from which they have worked wonders, drawing out its bracing, stony intensity.
     Of course, the family works with some heavy hitters, too. Fourchaume and Les Preuses, for example, have long been renowned sites and the Lavantureux produce majestic renditions of these more renowned premiers and grands crus.
     Lavantureux has always made exceptional Chablis and Petit Chablis, but thanks to these creative and ambitious additions to their vineyard holdings and cellar over the last fifteen years, they have rocketed right to the top of the most visionary domaines in the appellation today.