Prompted by our recent forum discussion about identifying the origins of Chardonnay in a blind tasting, I wanted to find a benchmark Chablis. With its distinctive label, Moreau-Naudet has become something of a cult favourite.
What makes a benchmark Chablis? The classic descriptors are high acid, citrus and/or green-apple fruit plus an all-important ‘mineral’ taste, frequently attributed to the specific soil type of the Chablis region.
That soil type is the marine-based limestone shown above. It’s formed of ancient sea-bed deposits, said to infuse the wine with flavours like oyster shell and gunflint. Expressing that sense of place is what makes Chablis, Chablis. Moreau-Naudet do it faithfully, while also reflecting the riper fruit that is a reality of winemaking today.
They farm organically, ferment with ambient yeast and mature their Chablis in stainless steel on the lees for at least 14 months (whereas their premiers crus and grands crus have partial oak maturation). What you get in the glass is therefore Chablis at its purest: lime and baked-apple fruit with a long mineral finish (I wrote ‘saline’, which is adjacent to oyster shell in the tasting lexicon).
So far, so Chablis. But there is fuller body, richer fruit and greater concentration than you might think is typical for that appellation. With warmer weather comes riper grapes, and this 2023 vintage is an accurate depiction of contemporary Chablis, where minerality accompanies fruit that tends more towards more lush flavours rather than the tartness of yesteryear.
Balance remains paramount: at 12.5% alcohol with high acidity, this wine is still a cool-climate Chardonnay, relatively speaking, with the structure of classic Chablis. The intensity and persistence of fruit is what elevates this wine above cheaper examples. I scored it 16.5+, suggesting it will develop greater complexity with bottle age, and the 2022 vintage was scored 16.5 and 17 by Julia and Jancis, respectively.
For a benchmark, modern-day Chablis, look no further.
The 2023 of Moreau-Naudet Chablis is available in at least 10 US states and in the UK via Lea & Sandeman, as well as 10 other countries, including Japan.
Read my article about how badly I fared in a recent burgundy blind tasting, and see our tasting note database for more than 3,400 Chablis reviews, including over 100 from Moreau-Naudet.
