Domaine Laurent Tribut

When Laurent Tribut married Marie-Clotilde Dauvissat, the daughter of René Dauvissat, he joined the family ́s wine- making tradition. Long ago the Dauvissats had purchased excellent AOC Chablis vineyards adjoiningtheir own premier cru, to give their children the opportunity to become viticulturists. Laurent, Marie-Clotilde, and their children live only a few miles from Vincent Dauvissat, in a large, restored farmhouse with vineyards behind the property. Laurent is a handsome and good-natured man whose love of the vineyards is evident. Today his daughter, Solange, has joined the family business as a talented winemaker in her own right.

The domaine consists of 12.5 acres of vineyards. In addition to 8 acres of AOC Chablis, which is a superb parcel of kimmeridgian soil adjacent to Dauvissat ́s own vineyards, Tribut owns the following premier cru vineyards: Chablis Beauroy (2.5 acres), Chablis Montmains (0.5 acres in the Fôrets lieu-dit), and Chablis Côte de Léchet (1.25 acres). He uses the minimum application of fertilizers and phytosanitary treatments possible. Yields are kept to 50 hectoliters per hectare, and harvest is completely done by hand.

For years, Laurent Tribut ́s wines were actually made in the Dauvissat cellars, in the same manner and spirit as the now legendary Dauvissat wines. Recently, however, Laurent moved his cellar to the town of Poinchy, just outside the town of Chablis. He carried with him the traditional Dauvissat methods of hand-harvesting and fermentation. The fermentation is in temperature-controlled enamel tanks and a percentage of the wine is matured in old oak barrels. Fining occurs 5-6 weeks before bottling, and a light filtration is done at the time of bottling.

Tribut ́s wines are immediately appealing, crisp, and lively, with lovely fruit, lemony aromas, spicy apple flavors, good balance, and a silky finish. His AOC Chablis is a point of reference for the appellation, while his premier cru wines are Chardonnay with all its complexity and toasty, citrusy flavors in harmony. The wines are characterized by the their balance and minerality, with the premier crus requiring 4-5 years of bottle aging to show at their best The wine is 100% estate- bottled and sold throughout Europe, Japan, and the United States.