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Domaine Francois Raveneau

1996 Domaine Francois Raveneau, Chablis Grand Cru, Les Clos

France Chardonnay Burgundy Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru 750ML

Wine Advocate

94-96

Vinous

96
/
1996 Domaine Francois Raveneau, Chablis Grand Cru, Les Clos
Domaine Francois Raveneau

1996 Domaine Francois Raveneau, Chablis Grand Cru, Les Clos

France Chardonnay Burgundy Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru 750ML

Wine Advocate

94-96

Vinous

96
/
0 In Stock
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A true legend of Burgundy, not just Chablis, Raveneau has made their name on whip-smart farming, hand-harvesting, but the house will cease at nothing to achieve perfection. The yields are microscopic as the vines are kept neatly trimmed to limit the number of clusters. In the cellar, all fermentation occurs in barrels and the wines are kept on the lees for a longer elevage. The old vines of Raveneau reward great patience, as with time these bottles only increase in greatness; follow the Aubert de Villaine rule of thumb here: drink within the first 5 years or don't touch them for another fifteen!

Domaine Francois Raveneau

In the mid-20th century, Francois Raveneau quietly assembled what became the backbone of the most legendary Chablis house we've ever known. What Francois realized and his children, Bernard and Jean-Marie have come to know is that the old vines should be preserved at all costs, as they are what sets this great domaine apart. Every winter, the vines are cut back greatly to reduce the amount of clusters per vine, so that the vines may concentrate all energy on fewer berries, thereby increasing the complexity further. Treatments are all natural in the vineyard, and the fruit hand-harvested to allow the finest grapes making it to the press without any damage.

In the winery, Bernard's daughter Isabelle oversees the winemaking; after pressing, the juice is allowerd to settle for 24 hours. From there, the fermentations will occur in barrel, where the resulting wine is allowed to remain on its lees and go through malo-lactic conversion. A year in feuillettes, barrels half the size of a barrique, will follow; these are not new at all (6-8 years' average age), as it is not to impart a wood flavor but a texture and allow better oxygen interchange.

All told, Raveneau is very much in the camp of DRC, Lafon, or any other producer whose reputation is bulletproof as a certified A-Lister beyond reproach. The only problem is that we can never get enough of these delicious wines that are splendid with food, and just as special to sit and ponder over.

Meet the Producer

Domaine Francois Raveneau

A true legend of Burgundy, not just Chablis, Raveneau has made their name on whip-smart farming, hand-harvesting, but the house will cease at nothing to achieve perfection. The yields are microscopic as the vines are kept neatly trimmed to limit the number of clusters. In the cellar, all fermentation occurs in barrels and the wines are kept on the lees for a longer elevage. The old vines of Raveneau reward great patience, as with time these bottles only increase in greatness; follow the Aubert de Villaine rule of thumb here: drink within the first 5 years or don't touch them for another fifteen!

In the mid-20th century, Francois Raveneau quietly assembled what became the backbone of the most legendary Chablis house we've ever known. What Francois realized and his children, Bernard and Jean-Marie have come to know is that the old vines should be preserved at all costs, as they are what sets this great domaine apart. Every winter, the vines are cut back greatly to reduce the amount of clusters per vine, so that the vines may concentrate all energy on fewer berries, thereby increasing the complexity further. Treatments are all natural in the vineyard, and the fruit hand-harvested to allow the finest grapes making it to the press without any damage.

In the winery, Bernard's daughter Isabelle oversees the winemaking; after pressing, the juice is allowerd to settle for 24 hours. From there, the fermentations will occur in barrel, where the resulting wine is allowed to remain on its lees and go through malo-lactic conversion. A year in feuillettes, barrels half the size of a barrique, will follow; these are not new at all (6-8 years' average age), as it is not to impart a wood flavor but a texture and allow better oxygen interchange.

All told, Raveneau is very much in the camp of DRC, Lafon, or any other producer whose reputation is bulletproof as a certified A-Lister beyond reproach. The only problem is that we can never get enough of these delicious wines that are splendid with food, and just as special to sit and ponder over.

The Wine Advocate

Wine Advocate

94-96

Raveneau's Chablis Les Clos is a blockbuster! Liquid mineral, spice, and honeysuckle aromas are followed by a mouth-coating, hugely powerful, broad-shouldered, oily-textured, well-focused, and masculine wine. Layer upon layer of intense minerals, flowers, butterscotch, alluvial, and chalk flavors roll across the palate and are held in suspended animation in the finish for at least forty seconds. It is an awesome Chablis! Anticipated maturity: 2004-2010+. Bravo! The rating, with the range of scores in parentheses, indicates the wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Bernard Raveneau feels that the 1996s he and his brother Jean-Marie crafted will require ten years of cellaring before being approachable because of their tightly wound, high acid structures. His father, Francois Raveneau, has reportedly compared them to his '69s. I have not tasted any 1969 Domaine Raveneau bottlings so I cannot comment on the comparison, but found his remark interesting because most other vignerons I met in Chablis and the Cote d'Or were unable to recall a similar vintage (the only exception to this being Dauvissat's father who reportedly compared the 1996 vintage to 1949). This estate's cellars, like those of Rene & Vincent Dauvissat, resemble the cellars of the Cote d'Or. Why? Instead of the massive foudres and stainless steel cuves found in other Chablis cellars, the Raveneaus and Dauvissats use oak barrels to ferment and age their wines. The Raveneaus lived up to their reputation with the 1996 vintage, crafting stunningly complex, beautifully ripe, highly delineated, crystalline and exceedingly long wines. Readers who wish to taste benchmark Chablis are advised to locate some of these gems (they will be bottled in April and early May).

Vinous

Vinous

96

The 1996 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru from Raveneau is astonishingly backward on the nose, almost Zen-like, with shucked oyster shell and struck flint, and a subtle adhesive scent that emerges with time. The palate is crisp, poised and full of tension. This is unapologetically citric and steely, an uncompromising “look-me-straight-in-the-eyes” Chablis that takes no prisoners, delivering wonderful mineralité on the finish. It is a fabulous Chablis that will enjoy a very long life.

What the Critics are Saying

The Wine Advocate

Wine Advocate

94-96

Raveneau's Chablis Les Clos is a blockbuster! Liquid mineral, spice, and honeysuckle aromas are followed by a mouth-coating, hugely powerful, broad-shouldered, oily-textured, well-focused, and masculine wine. Layer upon layer of intense minerals, flowers, butterscotch, alluvial, and chalk flavors roll across the palate and are held in suspended animation in the finish for at least forty seconds. It is an awesome Chablis! Anticipated maturity: 2004-2010+. Bravo! The rating, with the range of scores in parentheses, indicates the wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Bernard Raveneau feels that the 1996s he and his brother Jean-Marie crafted will require ten years of cellaring before being approachable because of their tightly wound, high acid structures. His father, Francois Raveneau, has reportedly compared them to his '69s. I have not tasted any 1969 Domaine Raveneau bottlings so I cannot comment on the comparison, but found his remark interesting because most other vignerons I met in Chablis and the Cote d'Or were unable to recall a similar vintage (the only exception to this being Dauvissat's father who reportedly compared the 1996 vintage to 1949). This estate's cellars, like those of Rene & Vincent Dauvissat, resemble the cellars of the Cote d'Or. Why? Instead of the massive foudres and stainless steel cuves found in other Chablis cellars, the Raveneaus and Dauvissats use oak barrels to ferment and age their wines. The Raveneaus lived up to their reputation with the 1996 vintage, crafting stunningly complex, beautifully ripe, highly delineated, crystalline and exceedingly long wines. Readers who wish to taste benchmark Chablis are advised to locate some of these gems (they will be bottled in April and early May).

Vinous

Vinous

96

The 1996 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru from Raveneau is astonishingly backward on the nose, almost Zen-like, with shucked oyster shell and struck flint, and a subtle adhesive scent that emerges with time. The palate is crisp, poised and full of tension. This is unapologetically citric and steely, an uncompromising “look-me-straight-in-the-eyes” Chablis that takes no prisoners, delivering wonderful mineralité on the finish. It is a fabulous Chablis that will enjoy a very long life.