The Chablis wines of the Raveneau family are produced with some of the best crus of the village of the Burgundy , many of which are owned by the Raveneau family itself.
The incredible quality of Raveneau's Chablis wines is such that it has led some great connoisseurs to suggest that they would deserve a Denomination of Origin Controlled apart and dedicated.
The Chablis wines of Raveneau are famous for their longevity and for the complexity of the aromas that are released after at least 8 or 10 years of aging.
After a rest of at least 8 years his Chablis not only acquire a greater richness and structure to the nose, but reveal new layers of flavors and fragrances that remain hidden and implied if uncorked in a shorter time.
The family Raveneau , along with René Da uvissat was one of the first pioneers in the Chablis of the Cote d'Or with regards to the long contact barrel fermentation with the lees and the oxidation in barrique to complete the acidity, despite the true secret of winemaking majesty of the family is given by the quality of its vineyards.
In the 60s and 70s in fact, Francois Raveneau deceased in 2000, gave rise to a domaine based on a complex of many small jewels of a few hectares capable of producing grapes of breathtaking quality.
Respectively, these small jewels comprise, in hectares:
Les Clos - 0.5 hectares
Valmur - 0.8 hectares
Blanchots - 0.6 hectares
Chapelot - 0.2 hectares
Vaillons - 0.4 hectares
Montmains - 0.4 hectares
Forêts - 0.4 hectares
Only Montée de Tonnerre and Butteaux have a surface over one hectare: 2.9 and 1.5.
Viticulture is mostly natural , with old vines severely pruned in winter to reduce crops.
After manual harvesting, the fruit is pressed immediately and adjusted for half a day. The fermentation of his Chablis is mostly in cuvee, and the malolactic fermentation proceeds at its own pace, followed by a year of aging in small oak barrels called feuillettes.
The feuillettes, about half the size of a barrique, are one of the keys to the expressiveness of the Chablis wines of Raveneau.
With an average of seven to eight years they serve to gently open the wine during elevation, this enhances the wonderful perfume and the creamy consistency that are the characteristics of these wines, especially when they are ripe, making them some of the best Chablis wines of Burgundy .
