Domaine des Malandes

Lyne Marchive, née Tremblay, the human dynamo behind this 29-hectare domaine retired in 2018 and handed over to her son Richard Rottiers and daughter Amandine Marchive. Oenologist Guénolé Breteaudeau, in place since 2006, maintains his central role. Most of the holdings were put together by André Tremblay in the 1940s and 1950s, when it was possible to swap a hectare of agricultural land suitable for growing wheat and get two hectares of vineyard land, including premiers crus, in return. How that has changed!

The vineyards are now being converted to organic farming, with certification in 2022. The Côte de Léchet and Vaudésir vineyards are ploughed by horse. Those two, Les Clos and Fourchaume are also hand-harvested. The domaine has an interesting take on yeasts for fermentation. They have organised for a laboratory to prepare selected yeasts out of those which prevail at the domaine.

There have been a few tweaks in the recently renovated and enlarged cellars. The lesser wines, plus Côte de Léchet because of its overtly mineral structure, are fermented and matured in stainless steel; 25 per cent of Fourchaume and Montmains are vinified in older barrels before transferring to tank and 40 per cent of Vau de Vey receives the same treatment, increasing to 50% for Vaudésir and 100% for Les Clos. None of the wines shows any obvious barrel influence, however: more a rounding-out of the palate.

The Chablis Envers de Valmur, formerly named Tour du Roy, comes from a plot of old vines giving a density of flavour which is further enhanced by a proportion of barrel vinification (30 per cent).