Meet the Winemaker: Domaine Roland Lavantureux
Since its inception in the late 1970s, Domaine Roland Lavantureux has become a hallmark of expressive and complex Chablis wines. Nestled in the charming Lignorelles village, the domaine sits atop fascinating soils that impart a distinctive character to each bottle they craft.
We recently had the pleasure of speaking with David Lavantureaux, the son of Roland and a part of the latest generation running the domaine.
(L-R: Roland Lavantureux, David Lavantureux, and Arnaud Lavantureux)
MV: What do you know about the early days when wine production was just one part of your family’s agricultural activities? How did wine gradually become the primary focus?
DL:
The vineyards have been in our family for at least eight generations, all located in the same place in Lignorelles. But wine was only a part of the activities starting in the 1970s because the weather was very difficult for vines before then. The frost was strong and late every year, and it was impossible to depend only on vine yields.
Then global warming started to be stronger, the ways to fight against frost were developed, and the first winegrowers "only" appeared. In our family, our father was the first to do only wine. And it was at the same time when Chablis started to export wines abroad and began to become famous.
MV: Can you tell us more about your father’s decision to bottle the wines in 1979 and how it shaped the future of the domaine?
DL: My father was a student in one of the first promotions of the Beaune Wine School in the early '70s. After his graduation, he worked for five years in Champagne for Moët & Chandon as a Vineyard Manager in Le Mesnil (Dom Perignon grapes). Then, when he decided to come back to the family estate, it was to develop the vineyard.
Of course, he wanted to make his own wine and started to bottle a part of his wines in 1979. Since this period, the estate has always bottled Chablis wines.
MV: You prioritize revealing the differences of each terroir. Can you share how you approach vinification to ensure the unique characteristics of each plot are reflected in your wines?
DL: What is interesting here in Chablis is showing the characteristics of each terroir because all the wines come from the same grape: Chardonnay. The exposition, the slope, the type of soil, and the subsoil make a difference in the end.
In the vineyard, our way of working is pretty much the same for each plot. The winemaking is different because the juices at harvest are different. For example, our Petit Chablis is grown in clay soils around the village of Lignorelles. The clay brings an expressive, rich juice that is not aged in barrels. All our other cuvées, grown on limestone soils, are aged in barrels because we seek higher depth and complexity.
The choice of the type of wood, the cooper, the duration of vinification, and lees contact also change depending on each cuvée.
MV: You also focus on minimal intervention during vinification. Can you talk more about how this philosophy benefits the final product?
DL: What we love is precision. Chablis is the right place to focus on precision, as Chardonnay expresses a fresh and pure style. Our work during winemaking is to guide the wines to achieve this specific and unique crispy finish with vivacity and saltiness.
This is possible only if the wine is carefully managed and racked as little as possible.
MV: What are the most significant lessons you've learned from your grandparents and parents about running the domaine?
DL: The most important lesson was given by the vineyard itself: humility. This work demands humility, as even if everything is going well for the estate and you do the best work in the vineyard, climatic hazards can destroy a year’s worth of effort in just a few minutes.
For example, 2024 was the most difficult vintage in the vineyard for my brother and me (at the estate since 2010). We faced frost, five hailstorms, record rainfall, and diseases.
Our parents and grandparents instilled in us the ability to be prepared for this unpredictable yield, which means fluctuating revenue. An estate needs to be very strong financially and have reserves to face these challenges. We also learned that, for a winegrower, patience is an important quality—not only for our production (only one vintage a year) but also to develop our projects and ideas.
MV: How do you see the domaine evolving in the next 10 to 20 years? Are there any new projects you’re particularly excited about?
DL: For the last 10 years, our goal has been to develop the range, sell all the wines in bottles, and add the vineyards of Bourgogne Epineuil and Bourgogne Tonnerre to our estate.
In the next 10 years, we would like to invest in storage to be able to sell the wines later, when they are ready to drink and offer the best taste. We will also continue to plant our Bourgogne Tonnerre vineyard to reach around 7 hectares.
MV: What’s your favourite wine from the domaine and why?
DL: I would say that it depends on the occasion! But I think that Vauprin and Vau de Vey are the 2 flagships of the Estate.
We are the only one to mention Vauprin and it is every vintage the quality and intensity of very good Premier Cru. It also has a specific salty finish that we have every vintage.
And Vau de Vey because in this global warming period, the east exposure and the very steep slope keep a very high freshness. Also, as it is planted directly on the stone, the mineral intensity is the highest in our range.