‘…one of Chablis’s finest estates…deserves to be much better known!’
A catch 22 indeed. The more well-known they are, the higher their prices go – especially on the secondary market. Here’s your chance to buy the pure and prime 2018 vintage of Moreau-Naudet, before their prices become stratospheric.
Already an insider favourite of many sommeliers, Moreau-Naudet have small holdings among the most pedigreed crus of Chablis. Their meticulous vineyard and winery work allows full control over every aspect. They’re not too big to let things get away on them. This was especially important in the warmer and fleshier 2018 vintage.
‘Moreau’s 2018s are deep and layered, with juicy freshness and excellent tension through the spine. Importantly—and not a given in 2018—the personality of each vineyard is finely etched throughout the wine.’ Rob Walters, Bibendum Wine Company
This domaine continues to thrive with Virginie Moreau leading the charge. All vineyards are managed organically and the fruit tension and depth is incredible. The legacy of her late husband Stéphane Moreau lives on and is shining brilliantly with the release of the 2018s.
The prices below include a 10% discount on these limited wines. Please send us your wishlist to sales@citywineshop.net.au and we’ll be in touch to confirm.
Offer ends 16 September (unless already sold out)
Village
2018 Moreau-Naudet Petit Chablis
Offer $55 (Retail $61)
From a single 2.5-hectare site in Beine, just outside Chablis on the way to Auxerre. It has a south-west orientation and lies on Kimmeridgian soils (as opposed to the higher Portlandian soils on which much Petit is grown).
‘Naturally fermented, this is vinified in large vats..It’s a fleshy, ripe wine with lovely texture and pulpy, peachy fruit. The finish has a touch of creamy lees and a lovely tang. A Côte d’Or kind of Chablis!’ Rob Walters, Bibendum Wine Company
2018 Moreau-Naudet Chablis
Offer $67 (Retail $74) / MAGNUM Offer $150 (Retail $167)
Drawn from 20- to 30-year-old vineyards in Préhy and Courgis, in the south of Chablis. The juice is fermented with natural yeasts (a rarity in Chablis). This spent 20 months on lees — considerably longer than the vast majority of Chablis at this level.
‘It’s a much more restrained and mineral expression than the Petit, and offers plenty of class. Expect waves of white nectarine, jasmine and verbena fruit, good texture, excellent sappy drive and a long and powdery, juicy, rocky close. Just delicious.’ Rob Walters, Bibendum Wine Company
2018 Moreau-Naudet Chablis Vieilles Vignes Les Pargues
Offer $72 (Retail $80)
Les Pargues is a Chablis lieu-dit situated on a ridge between Montmains and Vosgros. It has the same exposure as the 1er Crus of Vaillons and Montmains, so it’s a very handy site. The vines in Moreau’s tiny parcel average 50-plus years old and 15-25 hl/ha is the normal yield (smaller than Grand Cru Burgundy yields).
‘… a racy, crunchy and classic personality… this is now all lemon pith and sherbetty tang. It’s actually tightly wound, with a long and racy close. This cuvée was the first to see a measure of neutral wood (10%) and was bottled separately, labelled as Vieilles Vignes on the back and Les Pargues on the front.’ Rob Walters, Bibendum Wine Company
Premier Cru
2018 Moreau-Naudet Chablis 1er Cru Forêts
Offer $96 (Retail $107)/MAGNUM Offer $216 (retail $240)
Stéphane Moreau called Forêts “…one of the greatest terroirs of Chablis.” It’s a historical sub-plot within the 1er Cru Montmains, located high up the slope and facing southeast. It can certainly produce Chablis of the highest order, as both Dauvissat and Moreau have shown many times (Raveneau also has a small parcel).
Moreau farms two plots of vines here, over a total of just under two hectares. The first is alongside the vineyard of Vincent Dauvissat, and the vines are the same age at approximately 60 years old. The second, with 25-year-old vines, sits next to the Raveneau parcel.
‘This is stunning. The nose, both lifted and intense, throws up pink grapefruit, magnolia flowers and something stony, while the palate is Côte-de-Beaune-like in its breadth and depth. Long and sappy with a mineral/rocky close. Great, great Chablis.’ Rob Walters, Bibendum Wine Company
2018 Moreau-Naudet Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons
Offer $96 (Retail $107)/MAGNUM Offer $216 (Retail $240)
On the left bank of Le Serein on the middle of the slope, Vaillons is a particularly well-positioned site that enjoys an excellent reputation thanks to the work of several key growers. This comes from three plots: Sécher (provides intense mineral cut and structure), Les Epinottes (in a cooler part of the vineyard) and Roncières, which provides more opulence.
‘The 2018 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru is another wine in this range with quite a bit of promise. Exotic and tropical, with terrific depth, the 2018 has a lot to offer, even if it is clearly an adolescent today.’ Antonio Galloni, Vinous
2018 Moreau-Naudet Chablis 1er Cru Montmains
Offer $96 (Retail $107)/MAGNUM Offer $216 (Retail $240)
On the opposite flank of the Valvan valley to Vaillons, and with a deep soil of bleu d’argile (blue clay) and plenty of limestone rocks, Montmains is commonly held to produce ‘textbook’ Chablis of minerality and verve. This is from 0.65-hectares of very old vines — 70 years on average.
‘…lifted, weightless and airy, and yet there is plenty of power that emerges from the glass. Citrus and floral notes come together in this elegant style of wine. A whole range of floral and citrus notes add character. The 2018 is understated today, but also appears to be holding back much of its potential.” Antonio Galloni, Vinous
2018 Moreau-Naudet Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre
Offer $111 (Retail $123)/MAGNUM Offer $250 (Retail $278)
Montée de Tonnerre has sandy, rocky topsoil, rich in Kimmeridgian limestone. Moreau’s one-hectare parcel of 50-year-old vines is situated within the lieu-dit of Chapelot, and regularly produces the most mineral drenched, chalky, deep and powerful 1er Cru Chablis in the range.
‘It’s a deep and layered Chablis with white peach, green almond and red apple skin notes as well as a rocky, earthy lick that will come out more and more with age. Will be even more terrific with another 12-plus months in bottle. A baby.’ Rob Walters, Bibendum Wine Company
Grand Cru
2018 Moreau-Naudet Chablis Grand Cru Valmur
Offer $190 (Retail $211)/MAGNUM Offer $436 (Retail $485)
The Valmur vineyard covers around 12-hectares in total, forming a small valley in the heart of the Grand Cru slope. The domaine farms a 0.6-hectare parcel that was planted in 1978. Situated next door to the vines of Raveneau, Moreau’s plot is a cooler, shaded site that takes time to warm up. This fact, combined with the steepness of the slope, leads to the wine’s strong mineral, saline imprint, which shines through the depth and texture.
‘…could easily be mistaken for a wine from a top Côte d’Or producer. It’s actually very Puligny in style with lovely, delicate florals (vine flowers and jasmine), mixed citrus and subtle stone fruits. The finish is super-fine with the class you expect of Grand Cru. Superb.’ Rob Walters, Bibendum Wine Company
The prices above include a 10% discount on these limited wines. Please send us your wishlist to sales@citywineshop.net.au and we’ll be in touch to confirm.
Offer ends 16 September (unless already sold out)