Chablis, Domaine Moreau Naudet, 2020

Chablis very much of the old school, harvested later than most to capture full ripeness, and long elevages in large neutral oak barrels, lending complexity and delicacy to the wines. One of the top Chablis producers.

Stéphane Moreau took the reins of his family domaine in the 1990s and, inspired by Vincent Dauvissat, lifted it to the top echelon of Chablis Domaines over a period of nearly two decades. A passionate artisan, Stephane believed in obtaining healthy ripe and balanced fruit. Wary of green wines he often felt were wrongly referred to as offering classic Chablis “minerality”, Stephane tended to be one of the later pickers, but always using only healthy fruit without botrytis influence. The wines, which undergo prolonged ageing sur lie (18 to 20 months) in a mixture of used demi-muid oak barrels and steel tanks, are consistently complete, silky and alluring but never ever lack for vivacity or vineyard character. In fact tasting his fine spread of left bank Chablis Crus side by side, you see very clear differences from one to the other: from the fruity, fresh Vaillons to the powerful, mineral Montmains or the salty, more refined Forets.

These are beautifully harmonious wines full of character that you keep coming back to. Tragically, and well before his time, Stephane died suddenly before the 2016 vintage. His wife Virginie bravely picked up the gauntlet and completed the harvest. Now, with the help of Stephane’s old winemaking team, she is well on course to take the Domaine to even greater heights. He’d have been proud.