Domaine Laroche Chablis w/ Gwenael Laroche

Gwenael Laroche was kind enough to pour a few of the Domaine Laroche wines for our small group. The wines were very well made, clean, and delicious in different ways.

• 2012 Domaine Laroche Chablis 1er Cru Les Vaudevey

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  From a very steep, relatively unknown 1er cru. Lemon oil and crushed rocks on the nose. Very sharp, linear, and high acid, but the wine does broaden out a bit on the palate with a beautiful mouthfeel and texture. Lemon-lime and hint of nuttiness on the palate with a noticeable energy and tension that makes this an exciting and intellectual drink. The finish is long with a pleasant bitterness and herbal note.

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• 2012 Domaine Laroche Chablis 1er Cru Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  This was the more generous and open of the two 1er crus tasted tonight. The nose wasn't giving much, though, and there was a whiff of sulfur. The palate had a creamier texture that was mouth coating, but lacking a bit of concentration of fruit and punch of acidity compared to the Vaud de Vey.

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• 2012 Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  A much deeper, complex, and almost brooding (does this even make sense for a white wine?) nose of honeysuckle, stone fruits, and a hint of toasted marshmallow. The palate was similar to the nose but with a much more pronounced chalkiness. The fruit is very dense, round, and concentrated, but is still light on its feet as it glides across the tongue.

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• 2012 Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  This had a fresher, crisper nose than the other Laroche wines with a bit of matchstick and herbs. Much leaner than and more acid driven than the Blanchot and Vaillons before it, this wine was all about rocky detail, precision, and minerality over the fruitier roundness of those two. White flowers and crushed rocks on the palate. Very lithe, elegant, and complex, this was the wine of the Laroche lineup for me.

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• 2012 Domaine Laroche Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots Réserve de l'Obédience

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  This wine sees more oak than the other Laroche wines, and it shows, but is not distracting. Creamy stone fruits, powdered sugar, and almond paste on the nose. On the palate the wine was wound pretty tight despite being decanted for over an hour. The acidity was high and mouthwatering, and there was a very high level of concentration and depth to the flavors of white flowers and a hint of sweet vanilla. Despite the concentration, this wine was still light and airy on the palate and not at all heavy or ponderous. I think the oak integrates after a few years, but this feels more like a Cote de Beaune than Chablis.

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I had no experience with the wines of Domaine Laroche before this tasting, but I walked away impressed by the quality. The Vau de Vay and Les Clos were the standouts for me due to the more precise mineral and rocky character of the wines, but the Vaillons and Blanchots were also very good in a fuller bodied and fruitier way. Mrs. Laroche suggested that all of the wines could age for 5-7 years, but I think that all of these could age for much longer due to the high acidity present in each of the wines.