Tasted with Eléonore Moreau in Poilly-sur-Serein, 17 January 2020.
Domaine Eléonore Moreau
1 Route de Lichères
89310 Poilly-sur-Serein
Tel: +33 3 86 75 94 29
www.chablis-eleonoremoreau.fr
More reports for Domaine Eléonore Moreau
Since 2019 they have started conversion to organic, hoping to be certified in 2022 – though the way of work hasn’t actually changed – only the paperwork! Another small extension to the facilities was finished in time for the last harvest, a covered area to receive the grapes during harvest time.
Eléonore on 2019:
“2019 was an easy year from the perspective of treatments, as there were no great worries about disease. But there was a lack of water and some restrictions on water use during the harvest – which had us worried. I think it was a lovely vintage as there’s a finer balance and pH vs 2018, though we needed to work with the fermentations. At 42 hl/ha we were down a little; there was a hint of hail around 8 May but nothing major. Here there weren’t really problems with frost, we’re quite high and drier than the valley of Chablis – so only a few buds were affected.”
Eléonore on 2018:
“When I think of 2016 – when we had no harvest due to frost – and very low yield in 2017 but of very fine, classically shaped wines, it’s no surprise that we didn’t have over 100 hl/ha here in 2018. But the wines are delicious and round, I’d like a bit more freshness for my taste. I don’t think they are wines for long keeping, but who knows!”
The wines…
It’s an elegant style of wines often with a touch of the floral that I find here. A small and completely delicious range in 2018.
Eléonore is using a mix of DIAM seals – 3, 5 and 10.
2018 Petit Chablis
There are 6 hectares of this. Eléonore says that she is looking for a wine that’s ‘alive and for drinking within 3 years.’ Bottled in July – there are three bottlings, the last was in December.
Nice clarity and a touch of florals. Layered, a little richness – not classic PC but an absolutely delicious mouthful of wine – excellent wine!
2018 Chablis
‘Vines all on a hillside, well exposed to the sun, limestone, limestone and rocks! I think less floral than some of the northern vineyards but with a great expression of minerality. 2 years is too young for our wine but a little more and it’s fine.’ This a December bottling.
That has a nice salinity a suggestion of reduction too. A little more chiselled style, mineral, structural – that’s a fine wine – tasty and I like the structure and shape very much – wait for 6 months-plus – bravo! Really excellent length!
‘This name could indicate a pilgrimage or a journey – but without the religious connotations,’ says Eléonore. Hand-harvested Petit Chablis, fermented only with natural yeast and a ‘biodynamic’ dose of sulfur. The same parcel as in 2017.
A deeper nose, almost a touch of reduction that’s tightening things. Ooh – brighter, fresher, finely mineral, growing, the intensity too – that has a lovely line – that could be a bravo PC!
2018 Chablis Pérégrination
A new cuvée with the same principle as the previous PC. These are the oldest vines of the domaine, planted in 1982, with elevage on lees for 12 months, about 10% barrel like the ‘classic’ Chablis. It’s a very small cuvée like the PC Pérégrination – both currently sold only in France.
A mineral nose of depth and some floral high tones, modest width of aroma. Round but mineral, melting with mouth-watering flavour, more power in the finishing flavour, a little less open today. That’s a really super wine – excellent!