“Nestled in a sleepy, patina-hued village at the foot of the ‘hills of the Grands Crus’, one of the oldest, most progressive wineries in Chablis recently held a festival to celebrate the stellar 2015 harvest-and with it took another noble step forward in its illustrious history. Founded in 1850 by Jean Victor Laroche and continuously managed by five generations of Laroches, Domaine Laroche is no stranger to prestige or progress (it was the first Burgundian winery to bottle all wines with screwcaps). From 247 acres of Chardonnay vineyards across Chablis’s four classifications, including 15 acres of Chablis Grand Cru and 73 acres of Chablis Premier Cru vineyards, Domaine Laroche consistently produces highly-rated and age-worthy wines that serve as benchmark examples of Chablis terroir, that seemingly luminescent connection between fruit, acidity and piercing minerality derived from Chablis’s distinctive limestone and marine fossil-infused Kimmeridgian soil. Gregory Viennois, Laroche’s Technical Director, says purity and typicity are at the heart of the Domaine Laroche philosophy. In an effort to reach deeper into the soul of Chablis terroir; the winery is currently converting to organic viticulture.

“The critically-acclaimed 2012 Domaine Laroche wines, currently available on the U.S. market, offer stunning elegance, vibrancy and complexity and are best paired with oysters and shellfish, as well as veal, pork and poultry dishes: Domaine Laroche Saint Martin Chablis delivers steely citrus, tangy acidity and aromas of spring blossoms on a smooth, well-defined mineral structure. The Domaine Laroche Chablis Premier Cru Les Vaillons Vieilles Vines, is lush and juicy with fragrant pear, citrus and flint notes and a silky, vivid finish. Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots is elegant and smooth with lingering flavors marked by spicy pear, meadow flowers, vanilla, and oyster shells. The Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos is vibrant and complex, with sultry layers of ripe apple, pear and citrus laced by white flowers and powdered chalk. Finally, the Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Reserve de L’Obedience, produced from select Les Blanchots Grand Cru barrels, is iridescent and complex, with intense fruit, searing acidity and an elegant, balanced finish that recalls grapefruit, apples and sea salt.”