A highly enantioselective synthesis of versatile chiral synthons possessing one stereogenic center, (S)- and (R)-4-aryl-5-hydroxy-(2E)-pentenoate 3 was achieved based on the enzymatic reaction of (±)-4 with commercially available lipase ‘OF-360’ from Candida rugosa. An application of (S)-3 and (R)-3 to the total syntheses of (S)-elvirol 1 and (R)-elvirol 1, respectively, is described.