Domaine Francois Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montee de Tonnerre 2024 (750ml)

Domaine François Raveneau is widely considered the greatest name in Chablis. François Raveneau founded the estate in 1948, combining vines he bought with those of his wife’s family, the Dauvissats, another of the appellation’s great dynasties. He was the first in his family to bottle his own wine rather than sell his grapes. His son Jean-Marie took over the winemaking in the 1980s, joined later by his brother Bernard, and the family has kept the domaine small, about nine hectares, all harvested by hand. Their approach has barely changed in decades. The wines are fermented in stainless steel, then aged for 12 to 18 months in old barrels with no new oak. That gives them texture and depth while leaving the purity of the fruit and the chalky character of Chablis fully intact. Montée de Tonnerre is the domaine’s largest holding, more than three hectares, and many consider it the finest Premier Cru in Chablis. It sits on the right bank of the Serein, just across a small valley from the Grand Cru Blanchot, on the same Kimmeridgian limestone of ancient fossilized oyster shells. Its wines combine Grand Cru intensity with a cool, stony precision. The 2024 vintage was one of the most difficult in memory. Spring frost, hail, heavy rain and relentless mildew cut yields to roughly half a normal crop across Chablis. The wines that came through are charming and vibrant, with lifted citrus and floral notes and the classic smoky, saline Chablis signature. In Raveneau’s hands, this tiny vintage of Montée de Tonnerre is a rare, beautifully pure expression of the house and its finest site.