CHABLIS 'VIEILLES VIGNES'
2023 Domaine Raoul Gautherin
| Grapes | Chardonnay |
| Colour | White |
| Origin | France, Burgundy |
| Other | Vegan, Vegetarian |
| District | Chablis |
| ABV | 13% |
Vinified (including malolactic) in stainless steel vats, then aged 12 months in barrel, then back into tank for another eight months. Adrien gave me this to taste after all the series of the Grands Crus, and bluntly, it was not what I was expecting in the best possible way. The wood, as he says, 'pushes' the wine, but does not mask it. There's more in the way of creaminess, but otherwise the wood is so much part of the wine as to be barely perceptible, and any more bottle age will only increase this harmony. Deliciously saline and with a fine line of fresh acidity, this is remarkable. L&S (Oct 2025)
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DELIVERY SERVICE
We offer free nationwide delivery on all orders over £150 (excluding Highlands & Islands). Express Delivery options also available.The 2023 Chablis Vieilles Vignes was raised in oak barrels, so it obviously displays some creaminess on the nose. Peach skin, lychee, lemon verbena and chai aromas join in with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a touch more weight than the Chablis Village, but the acidity keeps it crisp. The oak is very well integrated on the finish. Give this 12 months in bottle. Drinking range: 2026 - 2035 Rating: 91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2025)
Domaine Raoul Gautherin
Who knew that there was a top domaine in Chablis with a wide range Grands Crus, without a UK importer in 2025? Well thank you Neal Martin for this one - what a great discovery!
Clearly Raoul and his son Alain (who I am sure I visited in another, pre-L&S life, in about 1985 or 1986) have put this domaine on a fantastic footing. Judging by the 1992 Montmains which I drank with Alain's son Adrien, Alain himself was no slouch at winemaking either. But it seems that the arrival of Adrien in 2017 has added a whole new level of precision and intent.
What is truly remarkable is the way that many of the wines are treated individually for their own specificity - the Chablis is cold fermented and aged in tank, the Chablis Vieilles Vignes is aged 12 months in barrel, The Montmains is vinified and aged in concrete eggs, the Lys is aged up to 24 months in tank, the Vaudésir aged in barrel, and then the Vaudésir Reserve is aged longer yet in tank.
Our first tasting here was a revelation, and we very much look forward working with Adrien over the long term.
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