Profile: Domaine Yvon & Laurent Vocoret

2.2.2017billn

Tasted in Chablis with Laurent Vorcoret, 12 January 2017.

Domaine Yvon & Laurent Vocoret
9 Chemin de Beaune
89800 Maligny
Tel; +33 3 86 47 51 60
www.chablis-yvon-vocoret.com

Laurent is the 6 generation of the family working the vines, his father, Yvon, was the first who started commercialising in bottle, before that they were ‘vraqueurs’ – sellers in bulk! There is probably some connection to the Vorcorets of Chablis, but the lines separated many generations ago.

The domaine now covers 26 hectares, including Petit Chablis, Chablis, the premier crus of Fourchaume and Homme-Mort, plus a selection of old vines Chablis that are all done in barrel. The old parcels (about 10%) are harvested by hand, the rest mechanically. All the grapes are checked on a triage table, then destemmed on their way into the press. All the tanks are thermo-regulated. Practically, they warm the cellar to about 19° to aid the malo, after which they keep the temperature about 15 degrees.

Almost everyone here in Maligny has gravitated to the higher area just out of the old town where there was not enough space – this domaine made the move in about 1975 and in 2-3 extensions over the years they have built the domaine up to its current space. One third of the produce is commercialised, the rest sold as must or finished wine in bulk. The commercialised part is sold from the cellar and ‘fairs’ across France. A little of the production has also escaped to Belgium and Italy, plus most recently in little in Japan.

Laurent explains that “I like to work the vines very slowly without resorting to oenelogical products. ”

Laurent on 2016:
The first storm hit all the north-east of Chablis on the 13 May. Then on the 25th another came from the west – and that was after the frost! In Maligny we were hardly touched by the frost, but the hail… There are friends with virtually nothing, here lost about 55% but its good stuff that waits in the tanks.

Laurent on 2015:
If it wasn’t possible to make good wine in 2015, people should change their job! I don’t try to do anything more than respect the place and the vintage. The vintage is relatively lighter from the perspective of minerality, but only that.

The wines…

I use only sulfur, yeast, sometimes an enzyme for clarification and bentonite, no cold stabilisation.

Whilst I don’t think that these wines are the most concentrated that you will find in 2015, they are balanced and completely delicious – Enjoy!

2015 Petit Chablis
From the plateau above Maligny – mainly sold in brasseries and restaurants
A bright and interesting clean nose. Round, ripe fruit, slowly growing acidity – great balance. More green fruit and herb in the finish, but an attractive sweetness and lime in the finish. Delicious!

2015 Chablis
Deeper, fresh, less overt than the Petit Chablis. Hmm, this is very nice, welcoming, fine textured, sweetly mouth-watering – not particularly intense but simply a very fine movement of flavour over the palate. More saline in the finish. Again, delicious and lime flavoured in the finish with no austerity. Yum!

2015 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
From Homme-Mort
A little green accent to the colour. Hmm. Directly mineral and vibrant – this is very nice. Fresher, wide, more intense, layered and with a good texture. Really very citrus in flavour. A lovely finish. Already delicious – nothing austere here.
2015 Chablis 1er Homme-Mort
A tighter nose, though overtly more saline. More volume, fresh, layered delivery of flavour. Delicious citrus, and beautiful finishing. The last notes more mineral but still delicious.

2015 Chablis ‘Renaissance’
Three old vine parcels, part vinified in tank then elevage in oak – mainly 500l barrels. Bottled in July. Vines from 1936, 1939 and 1961
Again a very citrus-infused nose, but with a clear oak dimension today. Fine and fresh in the mouth. Really very nice in the mouth indeed with fresh volume and lots of delicious citrus flavour. The minerality comes to the fore at the end and of-course there’s always plenty of oak, but I have to say that it’s already quite well-integrated – add two years in the cellar and you may struggle to find it. Really excellent, transparent and interesting wine.

To finish:

2005 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
From the bibliotheque – all bottles here are waxed – a classic (for Chablis) yellow wax.
Still quite a young colour. Starting to add the complexity of age, but also a little dried fruit with a hint of reduction. The first touch is saline, then it opens wide in a very mineral delivery, wide, complex and attractive – there is some obvious maturity here, but never oxidative. Fine and long – really an extra minerality with a modest agrume-style fruit. Top!

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