Wines Chablis Domaine Laroche - Les Blanchots - 2019

From the esteemed Château Laroche, the Chablis Grand Cru 'Les Blanchots' 2019 is a remarkable white Burgundy that epitomises the finesse and purity for which this appellation is celebrated. Crafted exclusively from Chardonnay, this cuvée highlights both the precision of the terroir and the meticulous vinification practices at Laroche. The 2019 vintage benefited from an excellent growing season, yielding grapes with perfect ripeness, translating into a wine of striking clarity and complexity. The Grand Cru status ensures that only fruit from the privileged 'Les Blanchots' climat is selected, where the revered Kimmeridgian limestone soils, rich in marine fossils, impart an unmistakable minerality and depth to the wine. Vinification is carefully controlled, often combining stainless steel and oak maturation to enhance both freshness and an elegant roundness.

Chablis, nestled in the northernmost part of Burgundy, enjoys a cool continental climate marked by cold winters and warm summers. Such conditions favour slow-ripening grapes, resulting in wines with vibrant acidity, purity of fruit, and pronounced minerality. The unique soils of the Chablisien, dominated by Kimmeridgian marl, set these wines apart, bestowing them with a characteristic flinty, saline note. The history of viticulture here dates back to Roman times, with the Grand Cru slopes, including Les Blanchots, regarded as the pinnacle of Chablis quality.

A Chablis Grand Cru of this calibre deserves thoughtful food pairings. Its crystalline minerality and subtle oak integration make it a perfect companion to refined seafood dishes such as poached turbot, lobster with beurre blanc, or freshly shucked oysters. It also excels alongside regional fare like Burgundy snails or a chicken in creamy Chablis sauce, where its freshness lifts and balances the richness of the dish. Mature cheeses, like Comté or Beaufort, also find a harmonious match.

For optimal enjoyment, serve this Chablis Grand Cru slightly cool, ideally between 10-12°C. Decanting for thirty minutes can further reveal its layered complexity and aromatic breadth. This 2019 vintage already shows beautifully but will also reward patience with further cellar ageing.