Domaine Eleni & Edouard Vocoret

We are in Chablis, the hybrid between Burgundy and Champagne. Remarkable slopes of kimmeridge limestone and clayey marl, here and there the chalk of Champagne shows.

The cellar of small, top winery Eleni & Edouard Vocoret is located at the southern end of the small but fine Chablis wine region, not far from Chichée.

Edouard is Chablisian by birth as a descendant of the Domaine Vocoret.

After studying and working in the family business, he went abroad, to New Zealand to be precise, where he met Eleni in 2010, who accompanied him back to Chablis.

Eleni is German-Greek with an austrian wine marketing degree. She has earned professional experience and inspiration from Alwin Jurtschitsch in the Kamptal, as well as from legendary Chablis vignerons such as Vincent Dauvissat.

The Domaine Eleni et Edouard Vocoret began in 2013: since then, the two have been managing 5 hectares of their parents' vineyards according to their own ideals.

Which means: Low intervention vineyard work and vinification, working solely with old vines on excellent sites, such as in the limestone-heavy 1er Cru Les Butteaux.

In the vineyard, Eleni and Edouard work exclusively by hand, they both know and understand their vineyards down to the last detail, a clear bonus given the limited operating area.

The biodiversity of the vineyards is also promoted, e.g. by planting fruit trees in between.

Biodynamic principles (without certification) also find their way into the wine cellar: Spontaneous fermentation with malolactic fermentation takes place in steel tanks, "no make-up", Edouard calls it.

The resulting, puristic wines only see old, rather neutral oak barrels or stainless steel, in order to reflect the character of the old vines in their tension and minerality, 1:1.

The wines are bottled unfiltered and only slightly sulphurised.

The domaine wines include the village parcels Bas de Chapelot, En Boucheran, Les Pargues and 1er Cru Les Butteaux.

*Update*: In 2023 Edouard finally took over an additonal 5 hectares of the family domaine's 1ers and Grands Crus. They now vinify tiny selected plots of Les Fôrets, Montée de Tonnere, Châtaigne, Séchet (1ers) and Blanchots, Valmur, Les Clos (Grands Crus).

Le Bas de Chapelot

A stone's throw from the eponymous small town of Chablis in the heart of the region is the main site of the domain: The Bas de Chapelot lies at the foot of the Chapelot Climat of 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre, on the right bank of the Serein river, which bisects Chablis.

Deep, loamy shell limestone defines this cool location near the river, where the 40-year-old Chardonnay vines allow Elenis and Edouard to produce aromatic, spicy and floral yet taut wines with a pristine acid structure.

En Boucheran

En Boucheran, characterized by white clay, grows on 0.9 hectares between the two Premier Crus Vaillons and Montmains. 35-year-old vines, an open, aromatic, structured Chablis, with a wonderfully animating saline lees interplay.

Les Butteaux 1er

Edouards dearest Cru: A tiny 1er Cru site below the famed Fôrets. Edouard took over two tiny parcels here, old vines from the 70s and 80s. The Forets brings out a vibrant, harmonious Chablis, which does carry great aging potential but is already a delight. Warning high voltage!

Châtains 1er

Vaillons subparcel. Dauvissat is a direct neighbour here. A steep, sun-loved parcel planted in 1971. The selected vines produce tiny berries, highly concentrated, just like the resulting wine, which true to the Vocoret style remains taut and precise.

Séchet 1er

Vaillons subparcel. Another parcel recently taken over from the family domaine, 0.7 hectares, yellow marl, planted in 1962. A fuller Chablis style, supported by a wired, focused acid frame.

Montée de Tonnerre 1er

An outlier! Right bank, close to the Grand Cru slopes of Blanchots and Les Clos. 0.8 hectares of vines, thin clay over poor limestone. Textbook south-eastern exposure. Cool intensity, enhanced by gentle ageing on fine lees in steel and old wood.

Blanchots Grand Cru

Two tiny parcels, half a hectare in total. This site faces strongly east and leans fully into elegance and perfume, Chardonnay at its most refined, yet unmistakably serious, with ageing potential and careful use of oak.

Valmur Grand Cru

The amphitheatre of Valmur delivers a slightly more robust, broader Grand Cru. Creamy and compact, with significant cellaring potential. Thanks to Edouard’s sensitive handling of oak, the wine is already approachable.

Les Clos Grand Cru

Arguably the most renowned Grand Cru of Chablis and also Edouard’s most important. Three small parcels, vines from the 1960s, massal selection and specific clones. A steep, warm south-facing slope. Ageing in steel and mostly old barrels, allowing the intensity of the site to speak clearly.