Moreau Naudet 2023
Every time Moreau-Naudet comes back around, I’m happy to have it. Many of you have gotten to know the domaine through our previous offers, and the more vintages I taste, the more convinced this is one of the best kept secrets in Chablis.
I’ve been following Moreau-Naudet since around 2010, when Stéphane Moreau was still at the helm. He was curious, willing to experiment, and pretty uncompromising about what he wanted from the vineyards. Organic farming, hand harvesting, natural fermentations, low sulfur and long élevage all became part of the way he worked. After he passed away in 2016, his wife Virginie continued with what they had started. That part of the story hasn’t changed.
And neither has my opinion of the wines.
Moreau-Naudet doesn’t make shy Chablis. There’s plenty of fruit and texture here. The wines can be generous, even broad at times, but then the acidity, chalk and salinity come through and tighten everything back up. That push and pull is a big part of why I keep coming back to them.
There’s no rush in the cellar either. The Premier Crus see a mix of stainless steel and seasoned oak, with plenty of time on their lees. The wood is old and stays in the background, giving the wines texture without getting in the way of the vineyards.
Today’s offer highlights two of their 2023 Premier Crus: Forêts and Montée de Tonnerre. Both come from old vines, both are serious pieces of Chablis, but they get there in pretty different ways. 2023 gave Moreau-Naudet plenty of ripe, healthy fruit to work with, and the vintage fits their style perfectly.
Moreau-Naudet has just under two hectares in Forêts, divided between two parcels. The older vines are around 60 years old and sit right next to Vincent Dauvissat’s holdings, while the younger parcel, around 25 years old, sits beside Raveneau’s Forêts. Pretty good company. These are neighbors who have made some iconic Chablis from this same slope, and that tells you something about the quality of the ground Moreau-Naudet is working with.
Then there’s Montée de Tonnerre, probably the most recognized of the Chablis 1er Cru. Its one of a handful of 1er Cru vineyards that sits on the right bank, the same side of the river where you find the Grand Crus. Moreau-Naudet has roughly one hectare of 50-year-old vines in Chapelot, the lower section of Montée de Tonnerre.
The soils are sandy with plenty of rocks on the surface covering the Kimmeridgian limestone which lurks some 18 inches beneath. This is why you get such minerality from Montee de Tonnerre.
There’s a lot of confidence in the way Moreau-Naudet handles these vineyards, and you can feel it in how clearly each site comes through. I’m excited to have these two, not only because I like the wines, but because this feels like a domaine whose reputation is only going to grow from here. If Moreau-Naudet isn’t already on your radar, these two are a pretty good reason to put it there.
Vinified in a combination of used oak (30%) and stainless steel, the 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Forêts is one of the highlights from Moreau-Naudet’s portfolio this year, beautifully exemplifying the classical Chablisien character. Wafting from the glass with a deep bouquet of beeswax, orange zest and pear, mingling with oyster shell, it’s medium to full-bodied, layered and tense, with vibrant acidity and excellent cut. It concludes with a pure, chalky finish. Virginie Moreau admits that in recent years she has given a slight preference to Forêts over the expressiveness of Vaillons. Readers will be able to make their own conclusions, as both wines come warmly recommended.
- Wine Advocate / Kristaps Karklins, 92-94
With 12.5% alcohol, Moreau-Naudet’s 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre is another success this year, soaring from the glass with a bouquet of beeswax, honeysuckle and crisp orchard fruit. Matured in a combination of old wood (30%) and tank, it’s medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated yet with good tension and structured around racy acids, with ample chalky extract and a long, sapid finish. It derives from a parcel just next to Raveneau’s.
- Wine Advocate/Kristaps Karklins, 92-94
The 2023 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre ler Cru has a well-defined bouquet with red apple, pear and light petrichor scents on the nose. The palate is well defined with a keen thread of acidity. It's taut and fresh with a sapid, tight finish that suggests this will benefit from 18 to 24 months in bottle. The 2023 is promising. Tasted blind at the BIVB offices in Chablis.
- Vinous Media/Neil Martin, 91
