2020 Domaine Moreau-Naudet, Chablis AC, White Burgundy, France.
A bit more rounded and concentrated that normally the case, this wonderful 2020 Moreau-Naudet Chablis, from a choice selection of limestone parcels, is a beautifully drinking pure Chardonnay with a fine minerality and chalky palate of lemon/lime, green apple sand subtle stone fruit, along with delicate herbs, oyster shell, clove, dry honeycomb, citrus blossoms, golden fig, seashore notes and hazelnut accents. The fermentation(s) at Moreau-Naudet is always natural and spontaneous with indigenous yeasts, followed by a long maceration and elevage on lees, with a fantastic result in the wine’s textural quality and richness. The wine is usually aged for an average of 18 months depending on the vintage in a combination of stainless steel and 600-liter French oak barrels, with a majority of the Chablis AOC cuvee, typically two-thirds, sees just the stainless. There is a lot to admire at Moreau-Naudet and while the Premier Cru and Grand Cru are exceptional offering and highly sought after, I recommend not missing out on the regular Chablis bottling, with this 2020 being a well balanced, but richer wine that definitely makes an impact and should drink nicely for few more years!
The Domaine Moreau-Naudet has an almost cult like follow and Virginie Moreau, who has bravely carried on after the tragic death of her husband Stéphane in 2016, along with her winemaker have, as I have mentioned, continued the excellence found at Moreau-Naudet. The basic village Chablis bottling, in the brilliant Moreau-Naudet lineup, is the only wine in their cellar that sees any new oak, with this cuvée providing the seasoning for those barrels which end up in the Premier Cru program after the first fill. Even so, as Moreau-Naudet’s importer Grand Cru Selections notes, it is always just a few new barrels that are being added to replace far older ones and actually only constitute a tiny, almost un-noticable percentage of the final blend, as seen here. As seen in previous versions this pale straw colored Moreau-Naudet Chablis proved to be excellent as both an aperitif and main event wine with an array of cuisine choices, especially with fresh seafood dishes and soft creamy farm cheeses. This was impressive, and compares well with Moreau-Naudet’s outstanding Vaillons Premier Cru, that comes a tiny block of 35-50 year old vines set on the historic Kimmeridgian limestone and some rocky top soil that gives the terroir influence and class, so look for both.
($49 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive