Pre Arrival Moreau-Naudet Chablis 1er Cru "Montee de Tonnerre" 2023

91 VM

Notes:

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 91

Producer: Domaine Moreau-Naudet is a family estate in Chablis whose modern identity was shaped by Stéphane Moreau and his wife, Virginie, beginning in the early 1990s. Stéphane developed the domaine around late harvesting for full physiological maturity, indigenous yeast fermentations, long élevage, restrained sulfur use, and a combination of stainless steel and older oak rather than a strongly reductive or heavily oaked style. Following Stéphane’s death in 2016, Virginie Moreau continued the domaine and has maintained the same approach in both vineyard and cellar. The estate farms approximately 20 hectares, with holdings ranging from Petit Chablis and Chablis through important Premier Crus including Forêts, Montmains, Vaillons, and Montée de Tonnerre. Vineyards are farmed organically, grapes are harvested by hand, and individual sites receive extended élevage designed to emphasize texture, maturity, and the underlying mineral character of Chablis.
Vineyard: Montée de Tonnerre is one of the most highly regarded Premier Cru sites in Chablis, situated on the right bank of the Serein immediately southeast of the Grand Cru slope. Moreau-Naudet works approximately one hectare of vines around 50–55 years old within the Chapelot sector, including a parcel directly adjacent to Domaine François Raveneau’s vines. The site has shallow, rocky soils with sand, marl, and Kimmeridgian limestone, the fossil-rich Jurassic geology fundamental to Chablis. The vineyard’s position and limestone-rich soils consistently give Moreau-Naudet one of the most mineral and structured wines in its range. 2023 is particularly significant for this bottling because it was the first vintage in which the domaine retained all of the fruit from its Montée de Tonnerre holdings; a portion had previously been sold to négociants. The vintage produced ripe, expressive Chardonnay with the acidity and freshness necessary to maintain classical Chablis tension. In Montée de Tonnerre, that combination translates into concentrated fruit, pronounced chalky extract, salinity, and enough structure for extended bottle aging.
Winemaking: The 2023 is produced from 100% Chardonnay and fermented with indigenous yeasts following hand harvesting. Approximately 30% of the wine is matured in older oak, with the remaining 70% in stainless-steel tank, allowing the barrel component to add texture and breadth without introducing substantial new-oak character. Moreau-Naudet favors unusually long élevage for Chablis, and Montée de Tonnerre remains on its lees for approximately 18 to 22 months before bottling. This extended maturation is an important part of the domaine’s style, building texture and depth while allowing the naturally high acidity and mineral structure of the vineyard to remain prominent. At 12.5% ABV, the 2023 combines concentration with considerable freshness; published assessments consistently emphasize its chalky structure, citrus and orchard fruit, saline character, and long finish.
Technical Details: Chablis Premier Cru AOC; Montée de Tonnerre climat, Chapelot sector; 2023 vintage; 100% Chardonnay; approximately 1-hectare estate parcel; vines approximately 50–55 years old; Kimmeridgian limestone with sandy, rocky and marly components; hand harvested; indigenous yeast fermentation; approximately 30% older oak and 70% stainless steel; extended lees élevage of approximately 18–22 months; 12.5% ABV; 2023 is the first vintage in which the domaine retained and bottled the entirety of its Montée de Tonnerre fruit.
Food Pairing: Fine de Claire oysters, grilled lobster, seared scallops, turbot, Dover sole, sea bass, roasted halibut, crab, lobster risotto, roast chicken, Comté, Beaufort, and Gruyère. The wine’s combination of concentrated Chardonnay fruit, racy acidity, chalky minerality, and pronounced salinity makes it particularly well suited to shellfish and firm white fish, while its long lees élevage provides enough texture for richer seafood and poultry.