2018 Domaine Roland Lavantureux Vaudesir Chablis Grand Cru

Roland Lavantureux founded his namesake Domaine in 1978 following completion of wine school in Beaune. Since then he has built a reputation for crafting some of the most consistent and reliable examples of Chablis from vineyards planted on the prized Kimmeridgian soils around the village of Lignorelles. The Domaine is now under the care of Roland's two sons Arnaud and David who have increased the family holdings to twenty-one hectares, adding single-vineyard cuvées while constantly striving for more complexity and layered texture in the mineral-driven wines they produce. Ferments are temperature controlled in stainless steel and all but the Petit-Chablis spends some time in 2 to 5 year old barriques. Whilst the Vaudesir is a mighty Grand Cru, the signature wine of the Domaine is the lieu-dit 'Vauprin' which is one of the highest vineyards in Chablis and gives remarkable mineral influence to the wine.

Other Reviews....
The 2018 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru comes from 0.4ha of 25-year-old vines and is matured in 80% oak barrels and 20% stainless steel. It has a fabulous nose of citrus fruit, orange blossom, crushed limestone and light fumé aromas. The oak here is beautifully knitted. The palate is very well balanced and poised, the oak perhaps a little prominent on the midpalate and masking some of the terroir at the moment. However, there is superb precision on the finish. This Vaudesir just needs 3–5 years in bottle to fully assimilate the wood. Drink 2025 - 2045.
95 points
Neal Martin - Vinous

A fuller if still pale yellow. The nose shows the sunshine and considerable weight of fruit. A little bit of wood too. The Vaudésir offers hugely more intensity than Bougros, and while the wood needs to integrate (which it will), there is a long steely finish awash with limestone.
92-95 points
Jasper Morris - Inside Burgundy

Chalk, wax, smoke and lemon are intense on this wine's nose, immediately conveying that it is not about fruit but rather stone and place. The same goes for the palate where a dense texture redoubles on that chalk and smoke. But everything is brightened and pulled into delicious focus by lemon freshness. This wine has poise, elegance and subtlety. Drink 2022–2040.
97 points
Anne Krebiehl MW - Wine Enthusiast