Moreau-Naudet Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 2024
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The Land
All seven Chablis grand crus sit on one hill, on the right bank of the Serein just above the town, and Valmur sits in the middle, wedged between Grenouilles and Les Clos. It covers 10.5 hectares and is shaped like an amphitheater, so it is not one exposure but several: the main face runs south to west and catches the strongest light of the day, while a northwest flank across the fold stays cool and ripens later. The soil changes with height, deep and brown at the base of the bowl, thin and white higher up where the Kimmeridgian marl breaks the surface and the fossil oyster shells run thickest. Growers blend the warm side and the cold into one wine, and that contrast is why Valmur reads as both powerful and tightly wound.
The Wine
The domaine works roughly 0.6 hectares in Valmur, vines around 35 years old on the full southern exposure, the rows plowed by horse. Hand-harvested, fermented with indigenous yeasts, then raised close to two years on fine lees, a portion in old barrels and the rest in stainless steel. Nothing in the élevage adds flavor; it builds weight around a wine that would otherwise be all structure. Lemon oil, iodine, white peach skin and smoke, a dense saline attack and a long, stony finish that tightens rather than softens. 2024 was catastrophic by volume in Chablis. Frost April 18 to 25, hail on May 1, again June 29 and July 31, April-through-September rainfall 27 percent above average, regional losses of 60 to 90 percent. Sugars came in low; the wines are lean and high-toned. Give this five years before you touch it.
The People
Stéphane Moreau built this cellar around restraint. Barrels are steamed rather than toasted, so the wood gives texture and oxygen exchange without the vanilla or char that makes oaked Chablis taste like something else. New oak is almost absent, and no more than about a third of any premier or grand cru sees wood. Fermentations run on the vineyard's own yeasts, sulfur additions are kept low, and the wines sit on their lees far longer than the regional norm. Virginie Moreau has held that line since 2016, and on Valmur she has kept the horse. Vincent Dauvissat, whose wines Stéphane studied closely, is said to admire theirs. In Chablis that is the only endorsement that matters.
Food Pairing
Chablis this saline deserves a centerpiece. Turbot or halibut roasted on the bone with butter and lemon gives the wine the fat and the gelatin it wants. Lobster poached in butter, served plain, meets iodine with iodine. A risotto of morels and chives finished with a little Comté works with the lees texture rather than against it. Or roast a chicken, carve it at the table and pour this alongside, which is what Chablis growers actually do. Buy two: one for the next big occasion, one for the back of the cellar.
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Chablis, a village and region in northern Burgundy, is all about Chardonnay, making arguably the best unoaked versions in the world. The wines here are defined by a crisp acidity and a strong mineral backbone. The area's unique Kimmeridgian limestone soil, packed with marine fossils, gives the wines a distinctive flinty edge. One slope overlooking the village holds the seven Grand Cru vineyards, while Premier Cru sites are scattered along both sides of the Sereine River, which cuts the region in half. Chablis is the ultimate destination for highly mineral white wines.
Burgundy - Chablis
Chardonnay, one of the world's most versatile and beloved white grape varieties, showcases a remarkable spectrum of styles, from the lean, mineral-driven expressions of Chablis in France to the rich, buttery, and oak-aged versions from California's Napa Valley. Its adaptability extends to cooler climates such as Burgundy, where it achieves elegance and complexity, and to regions like Australia's Yarra Valley, known for producing vibrant and fruit-forward renditions. This grape's ability to reflect its terroir, coupled with winemaking techniques, results in a wide array of profiles, including unoaked, crisp varieties with apple and citrus notes, to full-bodied wines with tropical fruit flavors and creamy textures.
