DOMAINE VENTOURA
Chablis, France
Domaine Ventoura is a family-run winery situated in Fontenay-près-Chablis, in the northernmost part of Burgundy, France. Established in 1953 by Auguste Ventoura, the estate began with modest agricultural roots. His son, Claude, expanded the vineyard holdings to 11 hectares, cultivating Petit Chablis, Chablis, and Chablis Premier Cru. In 2009, Claude's son, Thomas Ventoura, joined the family business, and by 2014, he began bottling and marketing wines under the Domaine Ventoura label, emphasizing quality and terroir expression.
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.
The estate's vineyards are primarily planted on Kimmeridgian limestone soils, which are characteristic of the Chablis region and contribute to the wines' distinctive minerality. Domaine Ventoura focuses on sustainable viticulture, employing traditional methods with minimal intervention to allow the terroir to shine through in their wines.
Chablis, France
Region & Vineyard Notes
The Chablis wine region has much in common with Champagne province, when it comes to climate. It has a semi-continental climate without maritime influence. The peak summer growing season can be hot; and wintertime can be long, cold and harsh, with frosty conditions lasting to early May.
The region's oldest soil dates back to the Upper Jurassic age, over 180 million years ago and includes a vineyard soil type that is calcareous, and known as Kimmeridge Clay. All of the Chablis Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards are planted on this primarily Kimmeridgean soil, which imparts a distinctively mineral, flinty note to the wines. Other areas, particularly most of the Petit Chablis vineyards, are planted on slightly younger Portlandian soil, still of similar structure. The chalk landscape resembles some areas of Champagne and Sancerre.