| Country | France |
| Region | Burgundy, Chablis |
| Producer | François Raveneau |
| Year | 2018 |
| Classification | AOP 1er Cru Butteaux |
| Grapes | 100% Chardonnay |
| Color | White |
| Alcohol % | 13 |
| Drinking Window | now to 2038 |
| Condition | Perfect label, damaged capsule, top fill. Actual bottle shown in gallery. |
| Content | 750 ml |
2018
François Raveneau 1er Cru Butteaux 2018
Ready — youthful
The Raveneau Butteaux 2018 is approaching, but has not yet entered, its drinking window. 2018 was a warm and generous Chablis vintage, with higher alcohol and more flesh than the more vertical 2017s; however, Butteaux is one of the cooler, windier lieux-dits in the appellation, and Isabelle Raveneau has remarked that this parcel copes notably well with warm growing seasons.
As a result, the 2018 Raveneau Butteaux combines the vintage’s pastry-like density with the site’s natural saline tension — a fuller-bodied Raveneau, but one that retains the structural backbone. Because Butteaux is famously slow to open at Raveneau, this wine rewards patience above all: critics have placed the window from 2024–2033 and beyond, although the estate’s track record points further. Drink now–2040+. Sourced in excellent condition.
€ 300,00
Last bottle available
| Weight | 1 kg |
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Details
Reviews
Wine Advocate - 93+
My favorite premier cru in the range this year is the 2018 Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux, a lovely wine that wafts from the glass with aromas of citrus oil, green apple, pear, oyster shell and pastry cream. Medium to full-bodied, taut and structured, with fine concentration and chalky extract, it concludes with a mouthwateringly saline finish.
Burghound - 93
A very fresh though not ripe nose manages to display plenty of classic Chablis character along with notes of mineral reduction. The sleek and muscular medium-bodied flavors are still relatively tightly coiled while displaying very good power and punch on the chiseled, bone dry and impressively lengthy finish. Lovely stuff that is also built to reward a decade plus of keeping. I would add though that this isn’t so backward that it couldn’t be enjoyed now though 2 to 3 more years of cellaring should help materially in adding additional depth.
Jasper Morris - 92
A paler colour, the 2018, butteaux has taken on extra tension here. It starts on a reductive note, but then the huge weight of fruit kicks in. Note the salinity at the end after a wealth of deep white fruit. Good length too.
François Raveneau
Domaine François Raveneau, based in the village of Chablis, has been led by Bernard and Jean-Marie Raveneau since the 1970s, while the next generation — Isabelle and Maxime — is now closely involved. Annual production is around 3,000 cases across the full range of Premiers and Grands Crus, which makes Raveneau one of the smallest serious estates in the appellation.
The cellar approach is unfashionably traditional: long élevage in older feuillettes (132 litres), no battonage, no new oak. Allocation, not purchase, determines who receives bottles each year.
Terroir
Butteaux is a lieu-dit on the left bank of the Serein within the Montmains sector, sitting higher on the slope and on shallower soils than Montmains itself. The bedrock is Kimmeridgian marl — clay-limestone studded with the Exogyra virgula oyster fossils typical of the appellation — but because the parcel is more exposed to the prevailing winds and further from the sheltered Serein valley, Butteaux ripens more slowly than the right-bank Premier Crus opposite. As a result, the wine retains acidity even in warm vintages and ages on a notably long curve.
What others say after opening the bottle
I like that I can buy good wines here without allocations. The bottles I’ve opened were exactly where they needed to be. Jannes his advice felt honest and personal, which helped me decide. Delivery was careful and straightforward. K. Loesberg
I spoke with Jannes before ordering because I wanted additional photos of the bottle, and that gave me confidence. The wine was ready to drink. Being able to buy single bottles for the occasion instead of full cases suits me well. Everything arrived perfect. T. Driessen
What I appreciate most is not having to guess anymore. I prefer to buy wines that are in the middel of their drinking window. Jannes's guidance was calm and helpful, and the delivery was handled with care. J. Annaert
Jannes helped me choose for a special food pairing, and the whole process felt easy and trustworthy. I don’t have a cellar to store wines for years. Buying loose bottles in their drinking window is a big advantage. Shipping was good. B. Denruyter
After opening too many wines too early in the past, this feels different. The timing has been spot on. I like the freedom of buying without allocations and choosing single bottles. Delivery has been consistently good. R. Bontemps
The advice from Jannes made the selection feel personal, not generic. The wine I ordered for Christmas was exactly as expected. I didn’t need a full case, so buying individual bottles works well. Everything arrived safely and on time. D. Smits
Great to enjoy wines without second-guessing. Jannes his advice helped narrow things down, and I appreciate being able to order just a few bottles. Delivery is good, quick and well handled. W. Snijders
This suits how I drink wine now. I don’t want to wait years or buy cases. The bottles arrive ready, the advice is solid, and the process feels dependable from start to finish. A. van Kempen
Bottles offered privately, before anything appears online
Private Access, Without the Noise
Beyond the public selection, I occasionally source wines available in very small quantities — offered privately, or never formally listed. Through the Club Grandcru WhatsApp channel, these bottles are shared directly and selectively: mature vintages, single parcels, and bottles that never reach the open market. Early access is reserved for members.
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