Domaine Laroche, Chablis 1er Cru Les Vaudevey 2022

Domaine Laroche is based in ‘L’Obédiencerie’, a former monastery in the village of Chablis where wine has been made for over 1,000 years. The domaine consistently produces impeccable wines, defined by the Chablis hallmark of crystalline purity and racy acidity. This historic domaine continues to make and mature their Premier and Grand Cru wines in the monastery's original cellars. Despite their impressive history, Domaine Laroche is dynamic and a modern outlook permeates everything they do.

The philosophy centres on the notion that to create the purest expression of Chablis, the domaine must first focus on their vineyards. As a result, Domaine Laroche has implemented sustainable viticultural practices, farming without artificial pesticides or herbicides. They have planted cover crops to improve soil water retention and minimise erosion on the steeper slopes, following biodynamic principles in their Grand Cru parcels and supporting programmes to protect biodiversity. This includes installing beehives in the Vaudevey valley and working closely with a Burgundian bird protection charity, to reintroduce endangered species of owls to the area. In the winery, they ferment their wines with indigenous yeast and embrace a minimal intervention approach.

The Premier Cru ‘Vaudevey’ conveys this remarkable site's unique sense of place, characterised by vivacity and freshness. This steep east-southeast-facing vineyard is bathed in the morning sun, before being more shaded in the afternoon, resulting in a slower ripening of the grapes. Domaine Laroche owns 10 hectares in Vaudevey, a 35-hectare Premier Cru that sits to the west of the town of Chablis. Located in a cool and narrow valley, the steep slopes rest on classic Kimmeridgian soil. The east and south facing vines receive plentiful sunlight in the morning and early afternoon, which helps the grapes to achieve good ripeness and an elegance not always found in the more powerful of the Premiers Crus.

This wine is pale gold in colour, with an elegant nose of white peach and almond. On the palate, this wine is delicate in style with fine, citrus and stone fruit flavours balanced by bright acidity and a long, lingering mineral finish.