2023 Chablis “Vaux Carrés” HALF BOTTLE
Roland Lavantureux
Things are changing at Domaine Roland Lavantureux: founder Roland’s sons, Arnaud and David, have joined the family business, and they have begun to implement a number of changes, yielding notable results in improving their already stellar lineup of Chablis. Diligent in their work ethic and full of ambition, the Lavantureux sons have begun working with new vineyard sites, made adjustments in winemaking, and improved the packaging of the domaine’s wines for a slightly classier presentation. While they have already earned numerous awards and accolades for their work, the real results can be tasted in the bottle.
As you’ll see, the wine is a crystal-clear translation of the Kimmeridgian limestone of Chablis—Chardonnay the way it can only taste from these soils. In addition to its crisp, saline finish, you’ll find rich, layered fruit and impressive length on the palate. Make way for the new generation!
—Anthony Lynch
| Wine Type: | white |
| Vintage: | 2023 |
| Bottle Size: | 375mL |
| Blend: | Chardonnay |
| Appellation: | Chablis |
| Country: | France |
| Region: | Burgundy |
| Producer: | Domaine Roland Lavantureux |
| Winemaker: | Arnaud Lavantureux |
| Vineyard: | 30 years average, 14.5 ha |
| Soil: | Clay, Limestone (Kimmeridgian) |
| Aging: | 70% of wine aged in stainless steel, 30% aged in 3 to 6 year old barrels |
| Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
| Alcohol: | 12.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2023 Chablis Grand Cru “Bougros”
France | Burgundy
Immediately accessible, with the type of ripe, unctuous nose you know and love with grand cru Chablis.
2023 Chablis Grand Cru “Les Preuses”
France | Burgundy
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 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.
2023 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.
2023 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.
2023 Chablis 1er Cru “Fourchaume”
France | Burgundy
This stellar cuvée features generous flesh enveloping a wiry core, with a flinty edge that leads to a satisfyingly creamy finish.
2022 Bourgogne Tonnerre
France | Burgundy
Displaying both the oyster shell quality we love about Chablis and the sunny orchard fruit notes that make Bourgogne blancs so delicious.
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.
2023 Petit Chablis “Les Grenouillères”
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.
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
2021 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune
Bruno Colin France | Burgundy
2023 Chablis 1er Cru “Fourchaume”
Famille Savary France | Burgundy
2007 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru “Aux Brûlées”
Domaine Méo-Camuzet France | Burgundy
2023 Chablis “Vauprin”
Roland Lavantureux France | Burgundy
2018 Corton Rognet Grand Cru
Domaine Taupenot-Merme France | Burgundy
2022 Gevrey-Chambertin
Domaine Taupenot-Merme France | Burgundy
2022 Beaune 1er Cru “Les Montrevenots”
Antoine Jobard France | Burgundy
2021 Aloxe-Corton
Domaine Follin-Arbelet France | Burgundy
2020 Irancy “La Grande Côte”
Benoît Cantin France | Burgundy
2023 Bourgogne Rouge “Champs Cadet”
Domaine de la Cadette France | Burgundy
2020 Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru “Clos du Chapitre”
Domaine Follin-Arbelet France | Burgundy
2023 Chablis 1er Cru “Beauroy”
Roland Lavantureux France | Burgundy
2021 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune
Bruno Colin France | Burgundy
2023 Chablis 1er Cru “Fourchaume”
Famille Savary France | Burgundy
2007 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru “Aux Brûlées”
Domaine Méo-Camuzet France | Burgundy
2023 Chablis “Vauprin”
Roland Lavantureux France | Burgundy
2018 Corton Rognet Grand Cru
Domaine Taupenot-Merme France | Burgundy
2022 Gevrey-Chambertin
Domaine Taupenot-Merme France | Burgundy
2022 Beaune 1er Cru “Les Montrevenots”
Antoine Jobard France | Burgundy
2021 Aloxe-Corton
Domaine Follin-Arbelet France | Burgundy
2020 Irancy “La Grande Côte”
Benoît Cantin France | Burgundy
2023 Bourgogne Rouge “Champs Cadet”
Domaine de la Cadette France | Burgundy
2020 Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru “Clos du Chapitre”
Domaine Follin-Arbelet France | Burgundy
2023 Chablis 1er Cru “Beauroy”
Roland Lavantureux France | Burgundy
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