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2023 Chablis Grand Cru “Vaudésir”
Roland Lavantureux
More often than not, enjoying a grand cru in top form, like the Riesling mentioned above, is an exercise in patience, but not always. Sometimes, dame nature cuts us some slack and delivers grand cru wines that don’t oblige us to lash ourselves to the mast, Odysseus-style, to resist their siren song until they’re ready to drink. The Chablis from the 2023 vintage, including the grands crus, are proving to be just this type of engaging early bloomers. Lavantureux’s Vaudésir has not only a substance and density befitting a grand cru site, but also the sunny opulence that characterizes the vintage, and a roundness that lingers before giving way to a textbook Chablis zing. Enjoy now, with gusto.
—Dustin Soiseth
| Wine Type: | white |
| Vintage: | 2023 |
| Bottle Size: | 750mL |
| Blend: | Chardonnay |
| Appellation: | Chablis |
| Country: | France |
| Region: | Burgundy |
| Producer: | Domaine Roland Lavantureux |
| Winemaker: | Arnaud Lavantureux |
| Vineyard: | 40 years average, 2.6 ha |
| Soil: | Clay, Limestone (Kimmeridgian) |
| Aging: | 5 to 15% of the wine is aged in new oak, 50 to 60% in barrels that are 3 to 5 years old |
| Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
| Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region
2023 Chablis 1er Cru “Beauroy”
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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.
2023 Chablis “Vaux Carrés” HALF BOTTLE
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A crystal-clear translation of the Kimmeridgian limestone of Chablis—Chardonnay the way it can only taste from these soils.
2022 Bourgogne Tonnerre
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Displaying both the oyster shell quality we love about Chablis and the sunny orchard fruit notes that make Bourgogne blancs so delicious.
2023 Chablis 1er Cru “Fourchaume”
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This stellar cuvée features generous flesh enveloping a wiry core, with a flinty edge that leads to a satisfyingly creamy finish.
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.
2023 Chablis 1er Cru “Vau de Vey”
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David Lavantureux describes it as “direct and pure, full of energy”—a perfectly steely Chablis for oysters-on-the-half-shell.
2023 Chablis Grand Cru “Les Preuses”
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Insider tip: cellaring some grand cru Chablis from Lavantureux is about as wise a move as you can make in today’s volatile (wine) world.
2023 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.
2023 Chablis “Vaux Carrés”
France | Burgundy
A crystal-clear translation of the Kimmeridgian limestone of Chablis—Chardonnay the way it can only taste from these soils.
2023 Chablis “Vauprin”
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Vauprin showcases Chardonnay’s ability to produce a wine that is simultaneously both round and taut in this mighty northern Burgundian terroir.
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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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Great winemakers, great terroirs, there is never any hurry. And I no longer buy into this idea of “peak” maturity. Great winemakers, great terroirs, their wines offer different pleasures at different ages.
Inspiring Thirst, page 312