Domaine Laroche

Domaine Laroche traces its origins to 1850, when Jean-Victor Laroche, a vineyard laborer with ambition, purchased his first parcel of vines near Maligny in the Chablis region. The domaine's spiritual and physical home, however, predates that founding by nearly a thousand years. L'Obédiencerie, the estate's headquarters in the town of Chablis, is a former monastery established in the 9th century where the Canons of Saint Martin produced wine continuously for over a millennium. That deep-rooted connection to place gives Laroche a historical gravitas few estates anywhere in Burgundy can claim. Successive generations steadily expanded the estate, and the domaine grew most rapidly under Henri Laroche, who inherited in 1967, and then his son Michel Laroche.

• Founded 1850 by Jean-Victor Laroche, a vineyard laborer who purchased initial vines near Maligny
• Headquarters at L'Obédiencerie, a 9th-century monastery in Chablis with 1,000+ years of documented winemaking
• Wine production at the site linked historically to the Canons of Saint Martin
• Michel Laroche co-founded the Union des Grands Crus de Chablis, shaping modern appellation promotion

In 2009, Domaine Laroche merged with Jeanjean, a major Languedoc negociant, to form the AdVini Group. Michel Laroche, the last family member at the helm, transitioned control to AdVini management in the early 2010s, closing more than 150 years of direct family stewardship. AdVini operates Laroche alongside a portfolio that includes Burgundy negociant Champy, Roussillon estate Cazes, and Chateauneuf-du-Pape producer L'Oratoire des Papes. Day-to-day winemaking direction passed to Romain Chevrolat, who joined as technical director and winemaker in 2023. Under AdVini, the domaine has pursued aggressive export growth, recording a 26% increase in North American shipments in 2025, while also winning the Asia Pacific Travel Retail Award 2026 for the Chablis Les Chanoines 2024 Collector Edition.

• AdVini Group formed in 2009 from merger of Domaine Laroche and Jeanjean (Languedoc negociant)
• Michel Laroche transitioned control to corporate management in the early 2010s after 150+ years of family ownership
• Romain Chevrolat appointed technical director and winemaker in 2023
• North American exports grew 26% in 2025; Asia Pacific Travel Retail Award 2026 won for Chablis Les Chanoines 2024 Collector Edition

Domaine Laroche farms 90 hectares across all four Chablis appellation tiers, making it one of the largest estate holders in a region historically defined by small family plots. The Grand Cru holdings are the jewel of the portfolio: approximately 6 hectares in total, including roughly 4.5 hectares in Les Blanchots and 1.12 hectares in Les Clos, plus a parcel in Les Bougros. At Premier Cru level, the domaine holds 21 hectares, with Vaudevey the most prominent at around 10 hectares; other key Premier Crus include Les Vaillons (farmed from old vines) and Les Chanoines. Village-level Chablis accounts for approximately 63 hectares, and small grower partnerships with around 40 independent growers supply additional fruit to supplement production. Biodynamic principles are applied in Grand Cru parcels, with a broader organic conversion ongoing, supported by cover cropping, beehives in the Vaudevey Valley, and owl reintroduction programs.

• 90 total hectares: 6 ha Grand Cru, 21 ha Premier Cru, approximately 63 ha village Chablis, plus Petit Chablis
• Les Blanchots Grand Cru holding is approximately 4.5 hectares; Les Clos holding is approximately 1.12 hectares
• Vaudevey is the largest single Premier Cru holding at approximately 10 hectares
• Approximately 40 small grower partnerships supplement estate fruit; biodynamic principles applied in Grand Cru parcels

Domaine Laroche produces 100% Chardonnay across all appellation levels, as required by Chablis AOC regulations. Stainless steel fermentation is the foundation of the house style, preserving the cool-climate freshness and Kimmeridgian mineral character that defines great Chablis. Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines receive partial oak aging to add texture and complexity without obscuring terroir. Indigenous yeast fermentation is used throughout, and the approach is broadly minimal intervention. One of the domaine's most consequential decisions came in the early 2000s, when Michel Laroche became the first producer in Burgundy to adopt screwcap closures on a meaningful scale, an act that provoked significant debate in the region but reflected the domaine's focus on freshness preservation and consistency.

• 100% Chardonnay across all wines; stainless steel fermentation with partial oak aging for Premier and Grand Cru tiers
• Indigenous yeast fermentation used throughout; minimal intervention philosophy
• Michel Laroche was the first Burgundy producer to adopt screwcap closures at scale, in the early 2000s
• Flagship Réserve de l'Obédience comes from Grand Cru Les Blanchots; Chablis Saint Martin is the high-volume village bottling

Domaine Laroche occupies a unique position in Chablis: large enough to shape regional discourse and export markets, yet anchored to specific Grand Cru sites with genuine depth and history. Michel Laroche's co-founding of the Union des Grands Crus de Chablis helped establish the appellation's international profile during a critical period of growth. His early adoption of screwcap closures in Burgundy was a genuinely bold move that influenced industry conversations about quality and terroir preservation. Today, under AdVini, the domaine continues to demonstrate that corporate ownership and quality viticulture are not mutually exclusive, with ongoing sustainability investment, strong export momentum, and continued focus on site-specific Grand Cru expression. For students of Chablis and Burgundy more broadly, Laroche offers a useful lens on appellation structure, closure debates, and the economics of scale in fine wine production.

• Michel Laroche co-founded the Union des Grands Crus de Chablis, shaping appellation identity and international promotion
• First Burgundy producer to adopt screwcap closures at scale, in the early 2000s, influencing regional closure debates
• AdVini's multi-region portfolio model demonstrates how Chablis scale can fund sustainability and export infrastructure
• Headquarters at L'Obédiencerie provides one of Burgundy's most historically significant producer stories