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Domaine Ventoura started small. Based in Fontenay, just outside Chablis, smallholder Auguste Ventoura owned a few animals and some land planted to cereals, and in 1953 started growing Chardonnay. He never looked back. His son Claude expanded the estate to its current size of eleven hectares, comprising Petit Chablis, Chablis and a single 1er cru, Fourchaume. Auguste’s grandson Thomas joined the domaine in 2009, and four years later began to bottle and sell the wines himself, rather than sending them to the co-op. He has also begun sourcing grapes from trusted growers in the 1er cru Mont de Milieu and grand cru Les Preuses.
Since then his focus on quality has started to make waves. Like any serious grower, he spends all his time in the vineyards. His methods are mostly organic, with the minimum of treatments, using a mixture of wood and stainless steel, depending on the style of the vintage and quality of grapes.
It was a warm, dry year in Beaujolais, with below average rainfall, and a particularly dry July. Fortunately, a summer storm at the end of June and some rain in August saved the vines from drought stress, but younger vines suffered nonetheless. Picking began on 24 August, yielding a harvest of healthy grapes with thick skins and small amounts of concentrated juice. Growers feared the resulting wines would be heavy and unbalanced, so Pauline decided on 100% whole-bunch fermentation to take advantage of the freshness given by the stems. She needn’t have worried: the wines display an energy and vibrancy that surprised everyone. They are ripe, forward and dense, fresh and fruity, offering immediate pleasure, as well as the capacity to age.
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