Meet the maker | Domaine Yvon & Laurent Vocoret

Visiting Vocoret, listening to the passion of Laurent and tasting through the wines on site sealed the deal that this was our next Chablis producer. Here’s why.

Vocoret is a family name synonymous with Chablis - Jean Vocoret planted his first vines in the village of Maligny back in 1707(!). That’s pedigree. Today, there are several wineries in Chablis bearing the Vocoret name, with our favourite of course being the Domaine of Yvon & Laurent. 

Laurent himself got his start making wine with his grandfather and father in the back of the cellar when he was very young, and has always made wine at the domaine - this intimate knowledge underpins (in his own words) the “quality, elegance and respect for the terroir” showcased through the wines.

Vocoret’s winery is located in Maligny in the northern part of Chablis. It’s ultimately a traditional facility with underground caves, but the family has outfitted it with modern steel tanks and some exciting bits and bobs including a ceramic egg for ageing a specific wine. It’s a culmination of half a decade’s effort, and one that Laurent considers his most important achievement in developing his classic, considered Chablis.

“After five years of work and comparison on two parcels of the estate, I've finally found the ageing container that best suits the parcel and will best fit its development; ageing in an œuf de Beaune for the Chablis1er Cru Fourchaume l'Ardiller parcel, ageing in a 500L barrel for the Chablis1er Cru Homme Mort Vieille Vigne parcel.” - Laurent Vocoret

Their vineyards span across Chablis with the most notable being a small old vine section of 1er Cru Fourchaume known as l’Homme Mort. This translates to ‘the dead man’ and is a reference to several sarcophagi that were found nearby in a Roman-era vineyard - the ancient history of the region in full show.

Ancient these soils may be, though as with most wine-growing regions climate change is threatening production here, and selection of the ideal time to pick is becoming increasingly critical in production of a great vintage. 

“Cold spells now come in spring instead of winter, which can cause crops to freeze. Then there are the periods of drought that can stress the vines. Finding the right harvest date is most important for the future.” - Laurent Vocoret

Productions include Petit Chablis, Chablis, 1er Cru Fourchaume, 1er Cru l’Homme Mort, Crémant de Bourgogne and the unique Cuvée de l’Ardiller, a chardonnay that is aged in a ceramic egg and speaks of chalky tannins, minerality and a touch of salinity. Laurent’s continuing to experiment with one eye on the future too, increasing time on lees during the maturation process - but also they’ve just installed air-conditioning on the harvest reception tanks, to lock in freshness from the moment the grapes are picked.

“We're going to be able to build on the freshness and precision of our wines during settling for the upcoming vintage, I can’t wait!” - Laurent Vocoret

If you’re new to Chablis, Laurent recommends an introduction through Petit Chablis, before progressing up the range to Chablis and 1er Crus in order to get the sense of evolution. The highlight of our visit was tasting my birth year Fourchaume (1978!) and finding it still full of vibrancy and vigour. Not that we’re stocking the 1978 soon (sorry), but an incredibly rare experience I’ll never forget, and one that speaks to the “quality, elegance and respect for the terroir” that Laurent cherishes.

Laurent himself recommends enjoying his wines “with scallops or seafood, followed by a red wine from the Rhone Valley with a good rib-eye steak, all around a meal with family or friends” - and I don’t know about you, but that sounds to me like a recipe for a fantastic time.

We can’t seem to get enough Chablis these days, so finding something new was a no-brainer. We recently showcased these wines to a selection of mofos in Singapore, and they drank us dry on the samples we took. There’s so much attention to detail in the wines and as evidenced by our tasting of the 1978 Fourchaume, this is Chablis that will live for decades. Absolutely get these whilst you can.

Domaine Yvon & Laurent wines will soon be landing at the 'fo in super limited quantities. Sign up for allocation here.