Chablis Premier Cru Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes – 2015
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Vineyard Profile
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Domaine Laroche owns 2.16 hectares (5.34 acres) of the 126.09 hectares (311.57 acres) in the Vaillons premier cru appellation. Les Vaillons is a well-favored site with an elevation of 180 to 200 meters (590 to 656 feet), a generous southeastern exposure and well-drained soil. During sunny vintages, the grapes attain perfect ripeness in this premier cru vineyard and produce wines with bright fruit flavors.
- Definition: “Vaillons” refers to the smaller valleys or climats that the larger climat of Les Vaillons can be divided into: Roncières, Beugnons, Les Lys, Les Epinottes, Châtains, Sécher and Mélinots.
- Viticulture: One man, one plot: There are more than 30 people who are dedicated to caring for the 90-plus hectares (222.39 acres) of Domaine Laroche vineyards, with each person responsible for only one plot. This tailor-made approach allows them to manage the vineyards with precision, speed and accuracy. Everyone at Domaine Laroche practices “lutte raisonnée,” or “reasoned protection,” (using chemical intervention only when required): The vineyard is plowed to aerate the soil and encourage development of the root system, as well as the organic life in the soil. Vines are pruned and trained by hand, with a strict pruning and debudding regimen. Leaf plucking occurs to aerate the canopy and avoid the development of botrytis, while trellising aerates the grapes and provides them with favorable exposure.
- Vine Age: Planted in 1970, 1986
- Soil: The limestone marl and Kimmeridgian soil is deep, and the vines are deeply rooted in this stony environment. Formed during the Kimmeridgian geological period (Late Jurassic, 150 to 155 million years ago), the soil contains a mixture of limestone and clay with a multitude of tiny fossilized oyster shells. This unique soil structure gives a finesse to Chablis that is precise, elegant and exceptional.
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Vintage Report
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If 2015 was an early vintage, we cannot speak about a solar vintage, as was 2006, as it possesses a serious acid vertebral column. The tasting of juices straightaway showed a lot of balance and the delicacy, an impression confirmed after the fermentation where we found precise mouths, without heaviness, and aromatic white flowers. Wines show a beautiful acidity and a concentration which remind those of 2005.
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Vinification
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- Fermentation: 3 weeks (85% stainless steel, 15% French oak)
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay
- Alcohol: 13%
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Tasting Notes
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Appearance: Intense gold
Aroma: Typical oriental spice overtone
Taste: Sinewy but never lacks the elegance of the best premiers crus of Chablis
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Images
Reviews
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Chablis Premier Cru Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes – 2015 – 90 points – Wine Spectator
"...expressive bouquet with scents of apricot blossom, pine nuts and light chalky aromas. This articulates the vineyard with style. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity and quite saline in the mouth, with a tang of lemon rind on the finish that just needs to evolve a longer aftertaste..."
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Chablis Premier Cru Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes – 2015 – 93 points – Decanter
"Apple and wet stone nose. The palate has a firm attack with bracing acidity. Concentrated, with tension and drive, no fat or undue opulence. A pure style, elegant and long on the finish."
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Chablis Premier Cru Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes – 2015 – 90 points – Wine Spectator
"Rich, featuring peach, apple and pastry flavors. Offers plenty of juicy acidity. The finish lingers, with harmony and a buried mineral element."
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Chablis Premier Cru Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes – 2015 – 93 points – Decanter
"Apple and wet stone nose. The palate has a firm attack with bracing acidity. Concentrated, with tension and drive, no fat or undue opulence. A pure style, elegant and long on the finish."