Article: Moreau Naudet 2022
Moreau Naudet 2022
“This is one of Chablis’s finest estates, and the domaine deserves to be much better known.”
This is one of those Chablis estates that everyone should know, but when I ask very few have ever tried them. I’ve been following these wines since about 2010. At the time Stephane Moreau was a vigneron with a very bright future. He was good friends with Vincent Dauvissat who helped influence his thinking. His approach was to work organically, hand picking, aiming for optimal maturity while avoiding botrytis. He was of the younger, more curious generation, willing to experiment and explore new ways of doing things. He was driven by a passion for the best possible outcome. However, in 2016, he tragically passed away at 47 years old.
There was a period of “what do we do now?” His wife Virginie along with their cellar master ultimately decided to continue on the path that Stephane started. The attention to detail and the precision in which they work today is reflective of the wines they are producing.
I was surprised to see no professional reviews from any of the major critics for the acclaimed 2022 vintage. Most of you know how I feel about this: it keeps the prices in check and is no reflection on the quality. I have experience with these wines over the years and feel the best are - Vaillons, Forets, Montee de Tonnerre. Hence you’ll find that’s precisely what I selected to share with you today. These vineyards represent some of the oldest vines on the estate.
I’d describe the style here as giving but at the same time precise and refined. I sampled a bottle of the Vaillons as I wrote this email. Seabreeze and lemon scents are found on the nose along with hints of white flower. The mouth is quite expansive and bright with stone fruits and chalky minerality lurking in the background of the persistent, lingering finish. It has one of those finishes that sneaks up on you and seems to keep coming in waves. I love the way it makes my mouth salivate. Borders on grand cru quality - real class!
Each of these is worth your attention and has my enthusiastic recommendation!
The domaine's holdings in Forets is made up of two parcels, totaling just under 2 hectares. The older parcel is of 60 year old vines and is right next to Vincent Dauvissat's holdings. The second is made up of younger vines (25 years old) and is next door to Raveneau's parcel of Forets. Forets identity among the geologically diverse premier crus in Chablis is one of notable power and intensity. It's soil is made up of a variety of different clays and decomposed rock over limestone which together with a southeastern exposure create a warm microclimate.
From a one-hectare parcel of 50-year-old vines within the lieu-dit Chapelot, Moreau-Naudet's Montée de Tonnerre is consistently their most mineral driven wine. The soils are sandy with a rocky topsoil and rich in Kimmeridgian limestone.
Moreau-Naudet's holdings in Vaillons are around 1.7 hectares from Roncière, Séchet (75 year old vines) and Epinottes. Fermentation is, as always, with natural yeast with up to a three month maceration on lees. Raised in stainless steel.
