The Estate

An exciting new producer in Northern Burgundy, Clément Lavallée produces Chablis wines in a minimal intervention style, and has been shining light on lesser known appellations such as St Bris (the only appellation the Sauvignon Blanc grape is allowed in Burgundy) and Irancy.

Born into a family of Chablis winemaker and gaining an interest in following his family’s path early in his life, Clément decided to travel and learn before returning to the family estate. Stints at various estates, including Armand Heitz in the Cote de Nuit, Domaine Chapoutier in Rhone, and Chateau Margaux in Bordeaux, were followed by time spent in Australia.

He returned to the family estate in 2018, but soon realised he wanted to do things differently and started his own Domaine, initially with 1.6 hectares in Chablis. After his first vintage in 2019, his father gradually passed on to him more vineyards until his retirement in 2021. With the family vineyards now under his sister Caroline and his control, the siblings together manage 14 hectares of vineyards under the Domaine Clément Lavallée label.

Viticulture and Vinification

No chemical or insecticides are used in the vineyard since Clément took over, and the Domaine is working towards organic certification. The wines undergo natural fermentation with indigenous yeast, with no sulphur used during pressing. Only the mid press wines are use in the blend to add balance, with the harder pressed wines sold to negoce. Gravity flow winemaking is adopted to retain more nuances in the wines, with wines aged in mostly old oak with lees contact to get the right balance between acidity and texture. Prior to bottling, the wines are sometimes fined, and sometimes filtered, but never both.

Wines Produced

bourgogne aligotÉ << pariot >>

A texturally complex Aligoté made with lees contact and aged in barrel. Unfined and lightly filtered.

saint-bris << Les copains dabord >>

A new Burgundy appellation with Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Aged 100% in barrel.

bourgogne cÔtes d’Auxerre Blanc << Grand Roche >>

From outside of Chablis near St Bris and the lieux dits Grand Roche.

Chablis

Aged 100% in steel, but lees contact adds complexity.

Chablis << Chante Merle >>

Clay soil. Aged in a mix of barrel and steel.

Chablis << Les Ardillers >>

Aged in a mix of barrel and steel. From rocky soil.

Chablis << 45° >>

Chablis 1er Cru << CÔte de Jouan >>

Chablis 1er Cru << Les Beauregards >>

Irancy << Les Ronces >>

Bourgogne cÔtes d’Auxerre Rouge << Ma Pierre >>

The # series

The experimental cuvees. Coming from vineyards in regions outside of Burgundy.

Critical Praise

“One of my most exciting discoveries in Chablis and the Auxerrois was fledgling Domaine Clément Lavallée… What I tasted on this first visit indicates that Lavallée hit the ground running with his very first vintage. Textural but incisive, pure and penetrating, I was immensely impressed by these young wines—from pungently mineral Chablis, to perfumed and intense reds, to Saint-Bris that's more Auxerrois than it is Sauvignon, everything here comes warmly recommended”

William Kelley, robertparker.com

GENERAL INFORMATION

Country:  France

Region:  Burgundy

Appellation:  Chablis

Founded:  2019

Annual Production: 8,000 cases

Farming: Sustainable and working towards organic certification