Laurent Tribut

History of Domaine Laurent Tribut

Domaine Laurent Tribut was created in 1987 by Laurent Tribut, husband of Marie-Clothilde Dauvissat, who came from an illustrious family of winemakers. This union was not merely a personal alliance: it opened the doors to an exceptional viticultural heritage for Laurent. Years earlier, the Dauvissat family had acquired excellent vineyards in Chablis, adjacent to their own Premier Crus, with the intention of offering their children the possibility of becoming winemakers in their turn. It was in this way that Marie-Clotilde and Laurent Tribut came into possession of these plots.

Laurent began by producing his wines in the cellars of the Dauvissat family, before going on to set up his own cellar in the village of Poinchy, just outside the town of Chablis. Those years spent alongside René and Vincent Dauvissat were formative: they forged a rigorous, humble approach, deeply rooted in the codes of great Chablis.

Today, his children Solange, Adeline and Gabriel have joined the family business as fully-fledged talented winemakers. The transmission of expertise thus continues in the same tradition, with the same exacting standards and the same attachment to the terroir that have built the domaine's reputation.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Laurent Tribut

The domaine de Laurent Tribut spans seven hectares, comprising four hectares of Chablis Villages, nearly two hectares of Premier Cru Beauroy, 0.8 hectare of Premier Cru Côte de Léchet, and 0.2 hectare of Montmains. This mosaic of plots allows the domaine to express the full richness and diversity of the Chablis terroir, while maintaining a modest annual production of around 40,000 bottles.

The geological bedrock of these vineyards is one of the most celebrated in the wine world: Kimmeridgian limestone. The soils are shallow and stony, resting on Kimmeridgian marls rich in oyster and shellfish fossils dating from the Upper Jurassic. It is this unique composition that gives the wines their characteristic mineral aromatic signature, that iodine-tinged tension and sharp freshness that make Chablis so singular.

Laurent uses a minimum of fertilisers and phytosanitary treatments. Yields are deliberately kept low, and the harvest is carried out entirely by hand. Viticulture is reasoned: the vines are not treated systematically, and always with respect for the environment. This philosophy of non-intervention in the vineyard guarantees the purest and most faithful expression of the terroir in every bottle.

Vinification at Domaine Laurent Tribut

Winemaking at Domaine Laurent Tribut is the direct reflection of the teaching received from the Dauvissat family: minimalism, precision and respect for the fruit. The grapes are direct-pressed, and fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats. The use of natural yeasts, indigenous to each plot, is a deliberate choice: it preserves the character specific to each terroir and avoids any aromatic standardisation.

After fermentation, the wines are aged in old oak barrels from various renowned forests, notably the Allier, the Vosges and the Châtillonnais. This measured use of old wood, over several passes, brings a subtle complexity without ever masking the minerality or the vivacity that are the hallmarks of great Chablis. The ageing of the Premier Cru Beauroy takes place over 6 months in stainless steel vats, then 12 months in barrels of several passes.

The wines undergo a light filtration shortly before bottling, ensuring their purity and finesse. The addition of sulphur is kept to a strict minimum. Laurent Tribut's credo is to intervene as little as possible in the ageing of his wines, letting nature and the terroir guide each vintage towards its most authentic expression.

The Cuvées of Domaine Laurent Tribut

Chablis Villages

The Chablis Villages is the ideal introduction to discovering the domaine's signature style. This wine possesses ripe yellow fruit and a classic, timeless Kimmeridgian mineral framework. The Chablis Villages stands out for its freshness and notes of linden blossom, with a lively acidity and a clean, crystalline finish. Aged primarily in stainless steel vats to preserve its aromatic purity, this wine is ideal with oysters, seafood or a river fish in a light sauce. It is best enjoyed in its youth, between two and five years of ageing, and represents an excellent value-for-money wine purchase at around 25 to 30 euros.

Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy

The Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy is crafted from young and old Chardonnay vines taken from three different plots across the 1.8 hectares of the Premier Cru Beauroy. This Kimmeridgian terroir, located to the north-west of Chablis, yields wines of great aromatic complexity. The Beauroy reveals an additional dimension of toasty richness and a harmonious burst of vibrant citrus. On the nose, one perceives notes of green apple, white flowers, candied lemon and wet chalk. The palate is taut and mineral, with ample substance and a long saline finish. This Premier Cru reveals its full potential after four to five years of cellar ageing.

Chablis Premier Cru Côte de Léchet

The Côte de Léchet is one of the finest expressions of the Tribut style: an upright, deep wine of remarkable tension. This north-west-facing Premier Cru develops a more austere and more vertical personality than the Beauroy. Notes of iodine, flint, lime and menthol dominate on the nose, while the palate offers a cutting acidity and a persistent mineral finish. Some wines from the domaine display particularly expressive iodine touches, and the Côte de Léchet is the perfect illustration of this. A gastronomic wine, to be paired with scallops, lobster or a mature goat's cheese. The recommended ageing is five to eight years.

Chablis Premier Cru Montmains, Fourchaume / Forêts

The domaine owns a 0.5-acre plot in the lieu-dit Forêts of the Premier Cru Montmains. This micro-plot gives rise to a rare wine, produced in very small quantities. Montmains, whose clay-limestone terroir is slightly different from the domaine's other Premier Crus, yields rounder, more enveloping wines, with aromas of pear, white flowers and a gentle minerality.