Francois Raveneau

History of Domaine Raveneau

The history of Domaine Raveneau takes root in a tumultuous period for Chablis, a wine region marked by decades of challenges. It is 1948 when François Raveneau, heir to a Chablisian winemaking family, marries Andrée Dauvissat, from another prestigious lineage of the region. This marriage is not merely a union of love, but also a strategic alliance that brings together the wine estates of two great families. At a time when Chablis struggled to recover from the ravages of phylloxera, two world wars, and harsh winters, François Raveneau shows bold vision. While his father, Louis Raveneau, chooses to sell his plots to face the economic difficulties of the 1950s, François decides to invest in the future.

In the 1960s and 1970s, taking advantage of falling land prices, François acquires exceptional vineyards, notably in the Grands Crus of Chablis, such as Les Clos, Blanchot and Valmur. These strategic acquisitions lay the foundations for a domain that would quickly become a reference. Unlike the majority of winemakers of the time, who delivered their grapes to merchants or practised mixed farming, François takes the gamble of dedicating himself exclusively to viticulture and bottling his own wines – a pioneering approach that allows him to control every stage of production and guarantee impeccable quality.

François Raveneau's style, marked by a quest for optimal grape ripeness, controlled yields and barrel ageing, quickly captivates discerning enthusiasts. But it is in the 1970s that the domain experiences true international consecration. During a tasting at the prestigious Taillevent restaurant in Paris, American importer Kermit Lynch discovers a 1976 Montée de Tonnerre that overwhelms him. Impressed by the wine's finesse and depth, he sets out to convince François to export his vintages to the United States. Initially reluctant, fearing his wines would not withstand the journey, he eventually yields after several years of persistence. The 1979 vintage marks the arrival of the first Clos on the American market, and the success is immediate. Raveneau then enters the ranks of the greats, becoming an icon among Chablis producers.

In 1995, François retires, handing over the reins of the domain to his two sons, Jean-Marie and Bernard. Jean-Marie, a graduate of the Lycée Viticole de Beaune, has been working alongside his father since 1978, bringing technical rigour and an intimate knowledge of the vines. Bernard, on the other hand, follows a more sinuous path: after an experience in Burgundian wine trading, he finally joins the family domain at the call of terroir and paternal heritage. Together, the two brothers form a complementary team, sharing tasks between the vines and the cellar with a humility and pragmatism that recall farmers of yesteryear more than the artists they nevertheless are.

Today, the new generation takes over with just as much passion. Isabelle, Bernard's daughter, and Maxime, Jean-Marie's son, joined the domain in 2010 and 2017 respectively. Their arrival marks a slight evolution in the wine style, which gains in precision and suppleness thanks to innovations such as a more spacious cellar allowing reduced wine manipulation, or reduced SO2 doses. Despite these adjustments, the spirit of Domaine Raveneau remains unchanged: to produce exceptional Chablis, faithful to their terroir and capable of traversing decades.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Raveneau

Domaine Raveneau cultivates approximately 10 hectares of vines, a heritage carefully assembled by François in the 1960s and 1970s, and maintained with care by his successors. These vineyards, located on the typical Kimmeridgian clay-limestone soils of Chablis, offer a diversity of terroirs that confers a unique personality to each vintage. The domain owns parcels in three emblematic Grands Crus as well as six prestigious 1st Crus. Added to these are a Chablis Village vintage and a Petit Chablis, introduced in 2014.

The vines, often elderly (some planted as early as the 1930s), are worked according to a respectful and reasoned philosophy. Ploughing, disbudding, careful trellising, and green work are carried out with extreme meticulousness to guarantee grapes of optimal quality. Harvests, exclusively manual, allow preservation of grape integrity and ensure rigorous selection. The domain takes care to limit yields to promote aroma concentration and obtain a perfect balance between ripeness and acidity, the signature of great Chablis.

Each terroir expresses its own personality: Les Clos, fully south-facing, gives powerful and complex wines; Valmur, on a steep slope, offers elegant finesse; Blanchot, at the top of the hillside, reveals an intense aromatic profile. Among the Premier Crus, Montée de Tonnerre, often compared to a Grand Cru, shines with its minerality and length on the palate, whilst Butteaux, on clayey soils, produces deep and serious wines. This diversity of terroirs, combined with meticulous work in the vines, allows Domaine Raveneau to offer a range of rare richness and precision.

Vinification at Domaine Raveneau

Vinification at Domaine Raveneau is a model of authenticity and minimalism, where each gesture is designed to respect the fruit and allow the terroir to express itself. After manual harvests, the grapes are immediately pressed to preserve their freshness. The obtained juice is settled for half a day to eliminate impurities while conserving fine lees, which will bring richness and complexity to the wine. Alcoholic fermentations occur spontaneously in stainless steel vats with indigenous yeasts, a method that guarantees aromatic authenticity and avoids any standardisation.

Once fermentations are complete, the wines are transferred to used barrels for 10 to 15 months of ageing. Domaine Raveneau favours feuillettes, these traditional small Chablis barrels with a capacity of 132 litres, often 7 to 8 years old. Unlike new barrels, these do not bring marked woody flavours, but allow subtle micro-oxygenation that softens the natural acidity of the wines and develops their creamy texture. During this ageing, only fine lees are conserved, adding an additional dimension of roundness and complexity.

After this wood period, the wines generally spend an additional 3 to 6 months in stainless steel vats to stabilise their structure and refine their aromas before bottling. The domain often chooses to delay the commercialisation of its vintages by a few months, allowing the wines to harmonise further before reaching the market. This artisanal approach, inherited from François Raveneau and perfected by his sons and grandchildren, guarantees Chablis of rare purity and elegance, capable of improving for 15 to 20 years, or even longer for the Grands Crus. The wines of Domaine Raveneau are also distinguished by their ability to reveal additional layers of flavour after long ageing, moving from juvenile austerity to extraordinary richness and complexity.

The wines of Domaine Raveneau

Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

Sourced from a 0.5-hectare parcel fully south-facing on the mid-slope, Les Clos was planted in several stages between 1963 and 1989. This Grand Cru, probably the most famous in Chablis, is a wine of extraordinary complexity and balance. Reserved and closed in its youth, it demands patience to reveal its full depth, offering intense mineral notes, a silky texture and an endless finish. Its ageing potential is exceptional, often estimated at several decades.

Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot

With 0.67 hectares of vines, a third planted in 1935 and the rest in 1970, Blanchot benefits from a very sunny position at the top of the hillside. This Grand Cru is distinguished by its power and rich aromatic profile, while maintaining the salinity and minerality characteristic of Chablis. Sourced from very old vines, it offers rare intensity and an impressive ageing potential, ideal for lovers of evolved wines.

Chablis Grand Cru Valmur

On a 0.75-hectare parcel planted in the late 1960s, Valmur is located on a steep slope to the left of the valley, making it one of the most challenging to work. But the effort is worthwhile: this Grand Cru produces wines of remarkable finesse and elegance, often described as "lace" by tasters. Reserved in its youth, it reveals itself after long ageing, offering subtle aromas and a refined texture.

Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre

Montée de Tonnerre is the domain's largest parcel at 3.12 hectares, located on the right bank of the Serein, just next to the Grands Crus. Planted between the 1950s and 1990s, it covers the lieux-dits Chapelot and Pied d'Aloup. This Premier Cru is often considered the equal of a Grand Cru, impressing with its complexity, power and minerality. Balanced and persistent, it is capable of ageing admirably for 10 to 20 years.

Chablis Premier Cru Chapelot

Sourced from a selection of old vines over 1.1 hectares in the Montée de Tonnerre lieu-dit, Chapelot stands out for its refinement and elegance. More delicate than its cousin Montée de Tonnerre, it remains complex and long on the palate, with an equally impressive ageing potential. A rare vintage prized by connoisseurs.

Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons

On 0.49 hectares planted in the late 1970s, Vaillons benefits from a sunny mid-slope exposure. This Premier Cru is always very aromatic, blending floral and fruity notes with the saline minerality typical of Chablis. Its freshness and balance make it a wine accessible in its youth, while being capable of evolving well over time.

Chablis Premier Cru Butteaux

Butteaux, a lieu-dit of Montmains, extends over 1.5 hectares in a cooler and windier climate, on very clayey soils. Planted between the 1950s and 1980s, the vines produce serious, deep and mineral wines. Austere in their youth, they reveal themselves after several years of ageing, offering a richness and texture that seduce lovers of evolved Chablis.

Chablis Premier Cru Montmains

On 0.36 hectares planted in the early 1990s, Montmains is located on a flat mid-slope. This Premier Cru produces deep, floral and delicate wines with a beautiful aromatic intensity. Its finesse and balance make it an ideal vintage for discovering the diversity of Raveneau's terroirs.

Chablis Premier Cru Forêt

Forêt, another lieu-dit of Montmains, covers 0.67 hectares at the bottom of the slope, on soils less clayey than Butteaux. Planted between the 1990s and 2000s, the vines produce tender, floral and elegant wines with a silky texture and marked freshness. A vintage that combines deliciousness and finesse.

Chablis Village

Sourced from 1.11 hectares spread across two parcels planted in the 1980s and 2000s, this Chablis Village is a pleasant and accessible wine. Located on the reverse of Montmains and in the valley facing Forêt, these vines produce fruity, gourmand and slightly mineral wines, perfect for immediate tasting or moderate ageing.

Petit Chablis

Since 2014, the domain has produced a Petit Chablis on 0.82 hectares planted in 2010 on the plateau above Vaudésirs, on Portlandian limestone soil. This "new baby" of the domain is a mineral, fruity and gourmand wine, ideal for discovering Raveneau's entry-level range while appreciating the elegant signature of the house.

Domaine Raveneau is not alone in shining in the Chablis appellation, where several exceptional producers share the same quest for excellence. Domaine Jean-Paul Droin, with its centuries of history, excels in precise, well-balanced Chablis, often marked by a fine mineral tension. Domaine de l'Enclos, a more recent addition to the family, seduces with its organic approach and vibrant wines that faithfully reflect the Chablis terroir. Patrick Piuze, for his part, has established himself as a master of parcel-based vinification, offering cuvées of remarkable purity and intensity. Pattes Loup, under the direction of Thomas Pico, stands out for its biodynamic methods and its Chablis of rare finesse, often highly prized by lovers of natural wines. Finally, Vincent Dauvissat, cousin of the Raveneau family, continues a family tradition of excellence with wines of exceptional depth and longevity, often compared to those of his illustrious parent. Together, these estates offer a rich and varied panorama of the best that Chablis has to offer.

Domaine Raveneau is more than a simple Chablis producer: it is an institution that embodies excellence, tradition and passion for Burgundy wine. Since 1948, the Raveneau family has elevated its vintages to the rank of true works of art, revealing all the beauty of the Chablisian terroir through wines of exceptional purity and longevity. Whether you are seeking a Grand Cru Les Clos for extended ageing or a Chablis Village for immediate tasting, the wines of Domaine Raveneau promise an unforgettable experience.