2011 Roland Lavantureux Chablis Vaudésir

Domaine Roland Lavantureux is a 50-acre estate with vineyards in Chablis and Petit Chablis. Roland Lavantureux started the domaine in 1979 after graduating from oenology school in Beaune. Today Roland’s two adult sons help him run the estate. The domaine’s vines are 30 to 60 years old and about 5,800 cases of wine are produced annually.

Vaudesir is a 31.8-acre Grand Cru vineyard in Chablis, in northwestern Burgundy. Most of it is high on a slope and faces south. It includes the very small vineyard of La Moutonne, which is 5.8 acres. Robert M. Parker has noted that Vaudesir wines are admired for their "precision of flavors and clarity." The largest landholders are Long-Depaquit, with 6.5 acres; Besson, with 3.58 acres; and Drouhin, with 3.5 acres. Like all the Chablis vineyards, it is planted exclusively to Chardonnay.

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.