Domaine Laroche : Chablis 1er cru "Les Butteaux" 2023

Characteristics and tasting tips for the Chablis Premier Cru "Les Butteaux" 2023 from Domaine Laroche

Tasting

Appearance
The color is brilliant and luminous.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet unveils an assertive personality with notes of stone fruit and apple, accompanied by mineral nuances evoking stone.

Palate
On the palate, the wine expresses a characteristic fruity vibrancy, supported by the freshness and minerality typical of Chablis.

Food and wine pairings

This Premier Cru pairs ideally with fish and seafood.

Service and cellaring

The Chablis Premier Cru "Les Butteaux" 2023 is best served at a temperature between 12 and 14°C. This wine can be cellared until approximately 2033.

A mineral and fruity Chablis Premier Cru

The estate

A key player on the Chablis scene, Domaine Laroche has roots in a thousand-year-old history that began in the 9th century. Since 2009, it has been part of the Advini group, which perpetuates its heritage by cultivating a style that combines precision, purity of expression, and elegance. The estate's wines faithfully embody the diversity of the Chablis climates, revealing all their aromatic complexity.

The vineyard

The Les Butteaux climate, located on the left bank of the Serein, benefits from a western exposure offering generous sunshine without excessive heat. Its name refers to the "butte," the upper part of the hill. The Chardonnay vines flourish on a terroir of Kimmeridgian limestone, the geological signature of Burgundy.

The vintage

The 2023 vintage stands out for its generosity and high quality. The Chablis vineyard required intensive protection against climatic and disease pressures from the end of winter through spring. A heatwave at the end of August caused rapid ripening of the grapes. The harvest took place plot by plot to preserve freshness and minerality, beginning on September 7th with the Premier Cru Côte de Léchet, continuing with the other Premiers and Grands Crus, and finishing on September 21st with the Chablis. Fermentation took place under excellent conditions, with the wines subsequently evolving on lees for several months. The potential of the 2023 vintage approaches that of 2020, with yields returning to satisfactory historical averages.

Vinification and aging

The grapes for the Chablis Premier Cru "Les Butteaux" 2023 are harvested manually in the cool hours of the morning, then sorted on a sorting table. Whole bunches are pressed in a pneumatic press, with the must then settled for 12 hours at 12°C in large vats. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentations take place naturally. Aging takes place for approximately 9 months on fine lees, entirely in oak barrels of various sizes (228 L, 400 L, 600 L) aged 1 to 7 years. Production is limited to 1,500 bottles.

Grape variety

100% Chardonnay.