Domaine François Raveneau "Chablis" Burgundy, France 2023

FROM KERMIT LYNCH:

THE WINE: 100% Chardonnay. Harvested by hand. Grapes pressed gently by pneumatic press. Juice is left to settle, and then racked off its lees into cuve to ferment. Alcoholic fermentation takes two weeks, followed by a malolactic fermentation in barrel. Wines are aged for 18 months in older oak barrel and feuillette (most of which comes from barrel-maker Chassin), of which a very small percentage is new.

THE PRODUCER: The most sublime and the most celebrated estate of Chablis, the wines of Domaine Raveneau are a rare find—exceptional because the vineyard holdings are almost entirely made of grand cru and premier cru fruit, painfully finite as so few are produced, outstanding because of their tremendous quality and consistency, and unusual given the modesty of the vignerons who create these world-class wines.

The domaine was created in 1948, when François Raveneau consolidated his holdings with his wife’s family’s vineyard parcels. Though his father had spent years selling off prime parcels, François was doing his best to bring new ones back into the hands of the domaine. The reputation of this elusive and somewhat stoic vigneron spread quickly, as his style was easily recognizable as far superior to the growing trend of innocuous, somewhat uniform Chardonnay. The domaine’s production has always been miniscule, and Kermit fought in vain throughout the seventies to add these wines to his portfolio. The relationship started with the 1979 vintage and has continued solidly ever since. Today, François’ sons, Bernard and Jean-Marie, direct the domaine, yet stay true to their father’s philosophy in both the vineyards and the cellar.

NOTE: This bottle is allocated and therefore stock is limited. Discounts do not apply to this product.