2021 Bourgogne Epineuil “Les Fauconniers”
Domaine Roland Lavantureux
Since taking over management of the family estate from their father, brothers Arnaud and David Lavantureux have expanded the domaine's lineup to include a number of impressive single-vineyard, premier cru, and grand cru Chablis bottlings. Now we finally have the first red wine to come from the Lavantureux cellars, sourced from old Pinot Noir vines planted by Arnaud and David’s grandfather in the nearby Epineuil appellation.
Epineuil shares the prized Kimmeridgian marl that makes up the soils of Chablis, and this rouge echoes the bright, mineral backbone that characterizes Lavantureux whites. What's more, the brothers have shown to have real touch with the Pinot grape, yielding a wine of striking finesse that shows off the crunchy red fruit, floral notes, and peppery spice typical of Pinot Noir from Burgundy’s far north.
—Anthony Lynch
| Wine Type: | red |
| Vintage: | 2021 |
| Bottle Size: | 750mL |
| Blend: | Pinot Noir |
| Appellation: | Bourgogne Epineuil |
| Country: | France |
| Region: | Burgundy |
| Producer: | Domaine Roland Lavantureux |
| Winemaker: | Arnaud and David Lavantureux |
| Vineyard: | Vines planted between 1969 and 1978, 3.5 ha |
| Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
| Aging: | Wine aged one year, 75% in barrels, 25% in stainless steel |
| Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
| Alcohol: | 12.5% |
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2022 Chassagne-Montrachet
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A crystal-clear translation of the Kimmeridgian limestone of Chablis—Chardonnay the way it can only taste from these soils.
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2022 Bourgogne Epineuil “Les Fauconniers”
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A wine of striking finesse that shows off the crunchy red fruit, floral notes, and peppery spice typical of Pinot Noir from Burgundy’s far north.
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2022 Petit Chablis
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2022 Chablis 1er Cru “Beauroy”
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2022 Chablis “Vieilles Vignes”
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Everything about this cuvée, from the delicately briny scent of slick oyster shells to the concentrated, pristinely focused sensation on the palate, is a demonstration of why this domaine has become one of Chablis’ very best.
About The Producer
Domaine Roland Lavantureux
With a sharp eye, natural instinct, and solid, Burgundian pragmatism, Roland Lavantureux is making no-nonsense Chablis that has come to be one of the most reliable of the old reliables here at Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant. Upon his completion of wine school in Beaune, Roland founded the domaine in 1978. Today, he is joined by his two sons, Arnaud works in the vineyards and cellar, while David takes the lead in marketing and sales. In addition to making a stunning Chablis, the Lavantureux family also bottles a Petit Chablis, two premier crus, and three grand crus
About The Region
Burgundy
In eastern central France, Burgundy is nestled between the wine regions of Champagne to the north, the Jura to the east, the Loire to the west, and the Rhône to the south. This is the terroir par excellence for producing world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The southeast-facing hillside between Dijon in the north and Maranges in the south is known as the Côte d’Or or “golden slope.” The Côte d’Or comprises two main sections, both composed of limestone and clay soils: the Côte de Nuits in the northern sector, and the Côte de Beaune in the south. Both areas produce magnificent whites and reds, although the Côte de Beaune produces more white wine and the Côte de Nuits more red.
Chablis is Burgundy’s northern outpost, known for its flinty and age-worthy Chardonnays planted in Kimmeridgian limestone on an ancient seabed. Vézelay is a smaller area south of Chablis with similar qualities, although the limestone there is not Kimmeridgian.
To the south of the Côte de Beaune, the Côte Chalonnaise extends from Chagny on its northern end, down past Chalon-sur-Saône and encompasses the appellations of Bouzeron in the north, followed by Rully, Mercurey, Givry, and Montagny.
Directly south of the Chalonnaise begins the Côte Mâconnais, which extends south past Mâcon to the hamlets of Fuissé, Vinzelles, Chaintré, and Saint-Véran. The Mâconnais is prime Chardonnay country and contains an incredible diversity of soils.
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Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch