Domaine Francois Raveneau Blanchot Chablis Grand Cru 2023

Few names in Burgundy command more quiet respect than Franois Raveneau. This small, family-run domaine has long set the gold standard for Chablis wines defined by purity, precision, and a kind of unforced grace. From the steep, southeast-facing slope of Blanchot, the 2023 vintage delivers a Grand Cru of extraordinary finesse and focus.

The fruit comes from mature Chardonnay vines rooted in classic Kimmeridgian limestone, harvested by hand and fermented with native yeasts. Aging takes place in a mix of stainless steel and old oak barrels, lending texture without overt wood influence. The approach remains simple and exacting: allow the site, not the cellar, to do the talking.

In the glass, Blanchot opens with delicate aromas of citrus blossom, crushed shell, and white peach. The palate is crystalline and taut, layering lemon zest, green apple, and chalky minerality over a long, saline finish. Both powerful and restrained, its a wine that feels carved from stone equally thrilling today or after years of quiet evolution.

Critical Acclaim

95 Wine Advocate

Informed by the estates oldest vines, planted in the 1930s and yielding small, concentrated grapes, Raveneaus 2023 Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot has turned out very well. Located at the top of the lieu-dit, where the soils are shallower and defined by the early morning sun that lasts until late afternoon, it offers aromas of pear, orange zest, beeswax and wheat toast. Medium to full-bodied, enveloping yet bright and precise, it is an attractive wine though somewhat less intense this year than the brilliant Valmur. Domaine Raveneau is one of the greatest estates in Chablis. This small 10-hectare domaine is one among a handful of bastions of artisanal winemaking in a region that embraced industrial winemaking with open arms, and it remains a beacon for connoisseurs of classical white Burgundy all over the world. In the era of premature oxidation, Raveneaus wines have also emerged as some of the most dependable prospects for extended cellaring. A generational transition has been quietly effected: Bernard Raveneau retired on January 1, 2020, and was replaced by his daughter Isabelle; and Jean-Marie Raveneau retired on May 1, 2021, and was replaced by his son Maxime. Neither plan to change a tried-and-tested formula, and both are intimately versed in the domaine’s secrets, so the future is secure.

94 Vinous

The 2023 Chablis Blanchots Grand Cru takes a little time to cohere its crushed stone, Granny Smith and sea spray scents in the glass. This has wonderful definition. The palate is beautifully balanced with a killer line of acidity. It is tensile, focused and lightly spiced, with just a hint of white tea toward the finish. This is a sublime Blanchot that should age for 20 to 30 years in bottle.