Domaine Raveneau is arguably the greatest estate in Chablis. The Domaine produces limited quantities of wines from the village’s top vineyards. The Domaine’s holdings include 3 Grand Cru vineyards: Blanchot, Les Clos, and Valmur; and a selection of Premier Crus: Montée de Tonnerre, Les Vaillons, Butteaux, Chapelot, Mont-Mains, and Forêt. The Domaine’s creation dates back to 1948 when François Raveneau consolidated his holdings with his wife’s parcels. François Raveneau built the reputation of this estate thanks to his inimitable style and incredible consistency in quality.
Chapelot premier cru is typically bold and rich with floral, fruity, and mineral notes and underlying savoury stony complexity. This wine comes off the 0.35ha parcel of the Chapelot sub-climat vineyard of the Montee de Tonnerre Premier Cru vineyard. This highly regarded Premier Cru site has a similar geological structure to the surrounding Grand Cru vineyards with south-facing slopes and limestone-rich Kimmeridgian clay soils. Raveneau hand-picks the grapes and uses only stainless steel for fermentation. Maturation takes place over 12-18 months in seasoned 7-8-year-old oak barrels.
Bursting with aromas of citrus oil, green apple, fresh bread, honeycomb, and white flowers, the 2018 Chablis 1er Cru Chapelot is medium to full-bodied, ample, and enveloping, with a satiny attack that segues into a fleshy core of fruit, framed by bright acids and concluding with a long, saline finish.