For decades, Chablis has been one of the wine world’s most recognisable names. In amongst the sea of average producers are a couple of old masters – Raveneau and Dauvissat – that have kept the flag flying for traditional farming and vinification methods, not to mention world class wines, and their wines have served as an inspiration for a new generation of Chablisiens that are now making the appellation exciting again.
The most recent addition to this list is Domaine Eleni & Edouard Vocoret. If the name sounds familiar, that’s probably because the Vocoret family have been a famous producer of Chablis for generations. The difference here is that this generation (Edouard and his wife Eleni, who trained at Dauvissat and Oudin) is solely focused on small production, quality and terroir. Their 5ha of vines have been reclaimed from the family estate, but they are not interested in taking on much more – the idea is to put their heart, soul and energy into mastering what they have.
The minerality and bracing clarity of the flavours is testament to conscientious farming, low yields and a deft hand in the winery, where all of their wines undergo fermentation and malo-lactic in steel tank before being moved to old oak barrels for élevage, 9 months for the lieu dit wines and 12 for the 1er Cru.
