Why it matters
The producer
The first Malandes grapes were harvested in Fourchaume in 1949, during a period marked by frost and limited mechanization. A dedicated estate in Chablis followed in 1973. Those two dates give the domaine its shape: a family beginning in difficult vineyard conditions, followed by a more defined estate built around the Chablis appellations.
Lyne Marchive later expanded the seven hectares handed to her by her parents. Since the generational transition that began in 2017, her children Richard Rottiers and Amandine have managed the domaine. Richard brought experience from Beaujolais back to the family vineyards, while the estate continued to grow across several Chablis appellations.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The domaine farms 29 hectares across a broad group of Chablis sites. Petit Chablis comes from parcels in Beines and Lignorelles. Chablis holdings include Préhy, Chablis, Milly and La Chapelle Vaupelteigne. The Premier Cru vineyards include Vau de Vey and Côte de Léchet.
That spread gives the labels a practical meaning. Petit Chablis is the fresh, early-drinking end of the portfolio. Chablis brings vivacious citrus and mineral character. The Premier Crus show more specific vineyard signatures, with Vau de Vey combining exotic fruit and strict minerality, while Côte de Léchet leans toward flint, smoke and an almost dusty mineral finish.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Organic farming now guides the estate after the conversion that began in 2019. Replanting uses mass selection, which preserves genetic diversity across the vines instead of relying on a single uniform planting source. Selective plowing with draft horses is used for soil aeration, placing the work close to the soil and between the vine rows.
Petit Chablis is vinified in stainless steel and rests for 6 to 8 months in stainless steel. That cellar choice keeps the wine focused on white peach, freshness and a clean, direct profile, with no sourced oak character added to the description. The cellar therefore supports the role of the wine within the range: open, fresh and suited to earlier drinking.
Wines to know
The range in view
Petit Chablis is the most immediate bottle in the portfolio. Its fleshy white peach fruit and fresh, pure profile give it an early-drinking role. Stainless-steel vinification and 6 to 8 months of stainless-steel rest preserve the fruit and keep the palate clear.
Chablis occupies the centre of the range. The domaine describes vivacious citrus balanced by minerality. The 2023 vintage adds lemon, white flowers, mint, apple, thyme and seashell aromas, with a medium body and a bright, clean palate. Another tasting description finds ripe pear, tropical fruit, zesty length and a chalky mineral finish.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Domaine des Malandes Chablis 2023 is the first bottle to open. It sits between the fleshy, early-drinking Petit Chablis and the more marked Premier Cru wines, so its profile gives a useful view of the estate's central style.