Notify me
A Bourgogne Blanc with One Foot in Chablis
A Bourgogne Blanc with One Foot in Chablis
by Tom Wolf by Tom Wolf
2022 Bourgogne Tonnerre
2022 Bourgogne Tonnerre
David Lavantureux
David and Arnaud Lavantureux
Roland Lavantureux France | Burgundy | Bourgogne
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 decade as brothers Arnaud and David Lavantureux. Shortly after joining their father, who had produced excellent Chablis and Petit Chablis for decades, Arnaud and David added a handful of beautiful premier and grand cru cuvées to their lineup, quickly turning 4 Rue Saint-Martin in Lignorelles into one of the region’s most respected addresses. But rather than simply acquire holdings in Chablis’s obvious heavy hitters, they’ve been more creative, identifying vineyards throughout Chablis and beyond full of extraordinary promise.
In the last few years, for instance, the brothers have turned their sights to Tonnerre, a small and long-overlooked village twenty kilometers east of Chablis, which teems with incredible potential for beautiful Chardonnay. Much of this land stretches across the same Kimmeridgian bedrock as Chablis but the soil along the surface is more limestone-heavy, imbuing its Chardonnay with more roundness and easy-going charm. What you get then, in the Lavantureux brothers’ new Bourgogne Tonnerre, is a white wine that has both the Kimmeridgian oyster shell quality we love so much about Chablis and the sunny and generous, fleshy orchard fruit notes that make the best Bourgogne blancs so approachable and delicious. Pour it alongside grilled lobster—or your favorite white fish—along with mushroom skewers and cornbread for a memorable summer feast.
David Lavantureux
David and Arnaud Lavantureux
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2022 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chardonnay |
Appellation: | Bourgogne |
Country: | France |
Region: | Burgundy |
Producer: | Domaine Roland Lavantureux |
Winemaker: | Arnaud Lavantureux |
Vineyard: | Planted in 2017 |
Soil: | Clay, limestone (kimmeridgian) |
Aging: | Aged 20% in older barrels that are 1 to 5 years old and 80% in tank |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2022 Chablis “Vauprin”
France | Burgundy
Vauprin showcases Chardonnay’s ability to produce a wine that is simultaneously both round and taut in this mighty northern Burgundian terroir.
2022 Petit Chablis
France | Burgundy
With a delectable combination of fresh fruit and oyster-shell aromatics, this remains Lavantureux’s benchmark for value and typicity.
2022 Chablis
France | Burgundy
A crystal-clear translation of the Kimmeridgian limestone of Chablis—Chardonnay the way it can only taste from these soils.
2020 Givry Rouge 1er Cru “A Vigne Rouge”
France | Burgundy
The Lumpp style is on full display with this beauty: open-knit, fruit-forward, silky, and seductive Pinot Noir beckons.
2022 Chablis “Vieilles Vignes”
France | Burgundy
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.
2022 Meursault 1er Cru “Genevrières”
France | Burgundy
Elegant aromas and a refined texture characterize this bottling from one of the village’s great vineyards.
2022 Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Rouge “La Fortune”
France | Burgundy
This rouge is so silky and aromatic, reminiscent of strawberries and cherries. Open it over the next five years to fully enjoy its bright, fresh character.
2022 Bourgogne Epineuil “Les Fauconniers”
France | Burgundy
November Club Rouge ~ 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.
2006 Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru “La Riotte”
France | Burgundy
Old vines planted just after WWII, spicy and deep, rich and full.
2022 Chablis 1er Cru “Beauroy”
France | Burgundy
The premier cru Beauroy is a round, ample expression of Chablis from a south-facing parcel. Silky and suave on the palate, it finishes with a whisper of salinity.
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.
More from Burgundy or France
2022 Bourgogne Blanc
La Soeur Cadette France | Burgundy
2022 Givry 1er Cru Blanc “Crausot”
Domaine François Lumpp France | Burgundy
2020 Rully Blanc 1er Cru “Cloux”
Domaine de Villaine France | Burgundy
2021 Bourgogne Rouge
Domaine Robert Chevillon France | Burgundy
2020 Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru “Clos du Chapitre”
Domaine Follin-Arbelet France | Burgundy
2021 Rully Blanc 1er Cru
Domaine de Villaine France | Burgundy
2022 Mercurey Rouge “Les Montots”
Domaine de Villaine France | Burgundy
2023 Chablis 1er Cru “Vaillons”
Famille Savary France | Burgundy
2022 Chablis 1er Cru “Beauroy”
Domaine Roland Lavantureux France | Burgundy
2020 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Les Corbeaux”
Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils France | Burgundy
2019 Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru “La Riotte”
Domaine Taupenot-Merme France | Burgundy
2023 Chablis “Vieilles Vignes”
Famille Savary France | Burgundy
2022 Bourgogne Blanc
La Soeur Cadette France | Burgundy
2022 Givry 1er Cru Blanc “Crausot”
Domaine François Lumpp France | Burgundy
2020 Rully Blanc 1er Cru “Cloux”
Domaine de Villaine France | Burgundy
2021 Bourgogne Rouge
Domaine Robert Chevillon France | Burgundy
2020 Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru “Clos du Chapitre”
Domaine Follin-Arbelet France | Burgundy
2021 Rully Blanc 1er Cru
Domaine de Villaine France | Burgundy
2022 Mercurey Rouge “Les Montots”
Domaine de Villaine France | Burgundy
2023 Chablis 1er Cru “Vaillons”
Famille Savary France | Burgundy
2022 Chablis 1er Cru “Beauroy”
Domaine Roland Lavantureux France | Burgundy
2020 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Les Corbeaux”
Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils France | Burgundy
2019 Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru “La Riotte”
Domaine Taupenot-Merme France | Burgundy
2023 Chablis “Vieilles Vignes”
Famille Savary France | Burgundy
Vintage Chart Mentality
Vintage Chart Mentality
Trust the great winemakers, trust the great vineyards. Your wine merchant might even be trustworthy. In the long run, that vintage strip may be the least important guide to quality on your bottle of wine.—Kermit Lynch