Domaine Laroche, Chablis Saint Martin 2021

Saint Martin, the patron saint of Chablis, was a Roman cavalry officer who became a humble monk and was elected Bishop of Tours. After his death in 397, his body was brought back to the Abbey of Marmoutier in Tours, where his relics (such as his cavalry cape, which he had torn in half for a beggar) were kept. In 877, as the Normans were invading the Touraine, monks took his relics to Chablis to avoid destruction. Saint Martin’s relics were kept for a decade in the Obédiencerie of the ninth-century monastery in the town of Chablis. The Saint Martin cuvée is the flagship wine of Domaine Laroche, a symbol of the Laroche values of sharing and conviviality.

VARIETAL: 100% Chardonnay

VITICULTURE: One-man, one plot cultivation at Laroche, meaning one person is completely in charge of his section of the vineyard, from pruning through to harvest. Conversion to organic viticulture was begun in 2010 for these Laroche vineyards. Domaine Laroche will require four consecutive years of organic cultivation (one more year than EU regulations prescribe) before they will consider their viticulture to be 100% organic. Traditional Chablis pruning system with strict pruning and debudding; trellising to aerate the canopy and leaf plucking to avoid compact canopy and prevent growth of botrytis. Green harvesting when needed.

VINIFICATION:
Fermentation: 21 days fermentation at 17˚C (62˚F) in stainless steel vats
Malolactic: Yes
Aging: 8 months on fine lees in stainless-steel tanks and “foudres”— large oak casks—of 55hl (8%)
Filtration: Minimum filtration to preserve the maximum natural character of the wine

VINE AGE: Average of 30+ years

MINIMAL INTERVENTION.