Domaine Laroche

Domaine Laroche is directly linked to the history of Chablis. One of the largest landowners of the Grand Cru vineyard, Domaine Laroche owns 90 hectares of vineyards located among the best crus of Burgundy, historically a kingdom of niche vines in France. Its headquarters, the Obédiencerie of Chablis, reveals a legacy dating back to the Middle Ages, when the Canons of Saint Martin of Tours produced wine. The relics of Saint Martin were hidden in the Obédiencerie for a decade. This exceptional testimony is very much alive: Domaine Laroche still processes and ages its Premiers and Grands Crus in these historic cellars. Its wines are a testimony of 1000 years of history. The Laroche philosophy is based on a very particular care of the terroirs, so that each of them can express its own particular characteristics in the glass. The importance of ecological balance is fundamental to maintaining the viticultural heritage and promoting its longevity. The history of Maison Laroche begins in 1850, when Jean Victor Laroche, a winemaker, purchased his first plots of vines in the village of Maligny, not far from Chablis. Passed from father to son, the Laroche vineyards continued to gradually expand and by the mid-1960s they reached 6 hectares. For the next 20 years, further vineyard purchases followed in quick succession and today the company owns nearly 100 hectares. Like all white Burgundy, only Chardonnay grapes are grown in Chablis, in the northernmost part of the region, closer to the latitude of Champagne than to the rest of Burgundy. The Chardonnay vineyards are planted primarily in the region's unique Kimmeridgian soil - a blend of clay, chalk and fossil oyster shells - renowned for producing crisp, minerally, precise and elegant wines enjoyed around the world. The Saint Martin cuvée, with its aromatic complexity, is the flagship of Domaine Laroche, but all the elegance of Chardonnay is released from the Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots. Old sunny vines and hints of oriental spices are the secret of the velvety character of Chablis Premier Cru Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes.