DOMAINE CLEMENT LAVALLEE
Domaine Clément Lavallée is an exciting new-generation Burgundy estate based in Saint-Bris-le-Vineux, between Auxerre and Chablis in northern Burgundy. Run by siblings Clément and Caroline Lavallée, the domaine works across the Auxerrois and Chablisien, producing Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Aligoté and Pinot Noir from appellations including Chablis, Saint-Bris, Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxerre and Irancy.
Although the Lavallée family has a long history as growers and winemakers in the Chablis area, 2019 was the first vintage released under Clément's own label. Before returning home, Clément spent years developing his experience across France and abroad, building an unusually broad foundation for a young northern Burgundy vigneron.
His early experience began locally at Domaine Verret in Saint-Bris, before taking him to Domaine des Terres de Velle and Armand Heitz in Burgundy. These placements gave him experience with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as well as exposure to biodynamic viticulture. He later worked at Château Margaux in Bordeaux and M. Chapoutier in the Rhône, before travelling to Rutherglen in Australia.
Clément returned to his family's estate in 2018, but quickly realised that his own ideas about farming and winemaking differed from the established approach. He initially struck out independently with approximately 1.6 hectares of Chablis, alongside fruit from Côtes d'Auxerre and Saint-Bris. His father subsequently entrusted him with additional vineyards, allowing the young domaine to expand.
The estate has grown considerably since those first vintages. Current official Burgundy and Chablis sources list 14.5 hectares across the Auxerrois and Chablisien, managed by Clément and Caroline Lavallée. The siblings have progressively transformed the family operation with a strong focus on vineyard health and producing precise, terroir-driven wines.
Farming is central to the new direction. Guide Hachette describes the vineyards as being cultivated without chemical products, while the estate's Australian importer lists the domaine as organic in conversion. Earlier in his career, Clément's experience with biodynamic viticulture helped shape this emphasis on living soils and careful vineyard management.
The portfolio is particularly interesting because it reaches beyond Chablis into the less internationally familiar vineyards surrounding Saint-Bris-le-Vineux and Auxerre. The domaine currently produces Bourgogne Aligoté, Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxerre Blanc and Rouge, Saint-Bris, Irancy and Chablis, alongside Chablis Premier Cru from Côte de Jouan and Les Beauregards.
Chablis naturally forms one of the most important parts of the collection. Chardonnay grown on the limestone-rich soils of northern Burgundy is handled with a restrained approach designed to preserve freshness, minerality and vineyard definition. One earlier Chablis release was fermented in stainless steel with natural malolactic fermentation before spending 12 months on fine lees and being bottled unfiltered.
The domaine also produces more specific Chablis bottlings such as Les Ardillers and Chante Merle, allowing Clément to explore differences between individual sites rather than treating village Chablis as a single expression. Les Ardillers has already found its way onto serious international wine lists, reflecting the growing interest surrounding the domaine.
At Premier Cru level, Les Beauregards and Côte de Jouan sit at the top of the current Chablis hierarchy at Domaine Clément Lavallée. These wines extend the same philosophy into more distinguished terroirs, with the additional depth and structure expected from Premier Cru Chablis while retaining the domaine's emphasis on purity and precision.
One of the most fascinating wines is Saint-Bris Les Copains d'Abord. Saint-Bris is an anomaly within Burgundy because its white wines are based on Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris rather than Chardonnay. It provides a dramatically different expression of northern Burgundy, combining Sauvignon's aromatic character with the cool climate and limestone-influenced landscape surrounding Saint-Bris. The 2023 Les Copains d'Abord was selected by the Guide Hachette des Vins for its 2026 guide.
Bourgogne Aligoté Pariot provides another side of the domaine's whites, while Grand Roche Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxerre Blanc explores Chardonnay outside the better-known boundaries of Chablis. Together these wines make Lavallée particularly compelling for Burgundy drinkers interested in emerging growers and the increasingly important terroirs of the Grand Auxerrois.
Red Burgundy also has an important place in the range. Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxerre Rouge Ma Pierre and Irancy allow Clément to apply his experience with Pinot Noir to the cool northern reaches of Burgundy. The official Burgundy producer directory confirms both Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxerre Rouge and Irancy among the domaine's appellations.
Domaine Clément Lavallée therefore represents a particularly interesting development in modern northern Burgundy. It combines a long-established Chablis family background with a new generation's approach to organic farming, low-intervention cellar work and detailed parcel expression. For collectors already familiar with established Chablis names, Lavallée offers an opportunity to follow a younger grower whose story is still being written.
Shop Domaine Clément Lavallée wines online at Wine More Cellars Australia. Discover Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru, Saint-Bris, Bourgogne Aligoté and Côtes d'Auxerre wines with Australia-wide shipping and free delivery on eligible orders over $199.
