Tasted in Beines with Eric Steinger, Anne & Louis Moreau, 20 January 2020.
Domaine Louis Moreau
10, Grande rue
89800 Beines
Tel: +33 3 86 42 87 20
www.louismoreau.com
More reports for Domaine Louis Moreau
Anne and Louis on 2019:
In 2019 we had fewer grapes than 2018 but very good quality – so clearly less juice than we hoped. We lost some volume to frost a mix of high plateau and bottom of the hills but not really on the slopes. We started harvesting 4 September after the very dry summer. About 15% less volume than our aim. The left-bank was better than the right, the grand crus really suffered. In 2019 we had everything and I think may have been more stressful for the vines than was the case for 2018.
Anne and Louis on 2018:
“In 2018 there are some nice things, a year that was charged, but like in 2019 early or later harvesting made a difference. You needed to harvest a little earlier if you wanted the best – or better – acidity.”
The wines…
A vintage that has really played to the style of production here – no oak, fine clarity – more or less volume, more or less concentration, more elegant or more structured – it’s the terroirs speaking here. Super!
50k bottles of Petit Chablis here in a normal year, using a high percentage of screw-caps. Across the rest of the range, they are now using DIAMs; 3, 5 and 10, though in 2017 all the grands crus had normal cork. Like most years, all the grand crus are still in tank, virtually all the rest are now bottled.
The major part is Beines towards Lignorelles on the plateau. Some above Les Clos too but that’s the smaller part.
A lovely aroma, bright and very attractive citrus. Hmm – nice! There’s a little aspect of structure here that’s more PC than many in 2018 – intense wide, very long finishing. That’s a great 2018 PC!
2018 Chablis
Usually about 25 hectares worth of vines. 80% from around Beines, the rest from the communes of Fleys and Chablis
Finer, more direct, faintly sweetly floral. A little more width and sweetness, then a burst of citrus acidity – more elegant, pretty not more intensity. Super modestly rippling with beautiful flavour. Not a big Chablis but ultra-elegant and delicious.
2018 Domaine de Biéville, Chablis
From Viviers – 18km east of Beines. In the family since the 70s. South facing, on the plateau, not planted for a long time, pure Kimmerigian terroir.
More spiced, suggesting a little DIAM reduction to start. More structural again, very wide, more incisive more chiselled. A properly structural 2018. Excellent.
Not yet bottled, like the GCs – all organic, hand-harvested 50-year-old vines, all done the same as the 1er and GCs.
Much more clarity, faintly reductive minerality. Yes! Mineral, modestly saline, great structure – open and fresh. Lovely the energy and finishing concentration. A finely intense finish that’s in a similar style to the PC. Simply top 2018 – bravo!
2018 Chablis 1er Vau Ligneau
Back to Beine, more north, north-east facing.
Hmm, that’s a nice mineral and cleanly agrume nose – very inviting. Bigger, more impact, very mineral but also very concentrated – GC-style. Lovely and layered, it could have a little more overt energy but the balance is very fine with a mineral intensity in the finish. Super long.
2018 Chablis 1er Les Fourneaux
True Fourneaux. Not much frost here. 4 hectares.
A wider, more-fruit forward, perhaps a faint pear. If the nose is so overtly mineral, the palte is. Powerful a touch of richness, but mouth-watering with mineral and citrus – and then pow – the widening of the finish. The last is showing a little better today but this seems to have a bit more in reserve. Super wine.
2 hectares at the base/heart of Vaillons, vines now 56 years old. All work made in organic way, uncertified.
There’s a density of aroma here, almost the synthesis of the previous wines – practically everything is here. Big, vibrant, love the energy, a zesty structure and flavour, really mouth-wateringly concentrated. That’s a really great wine – have a little patience, but it’s practically GC standard in 2018! Bravo!
March-April bottling is planned for these grand crus:
2018 Chablis Blanchot
From tank, still all stainless-steel – this the most east-facing of these grand crus.
That’s a nicely vibrant nose, accented with fine flashes of citrus. Volume in the mouth, here with a little salinity too – a wine that imposes itself on the palate – it will be really excellent – proper Chablis – excellent, saline and intense finishing.
2018 Chablis Les Clos
Plain-south-facing.
Hmm – that’s a great nose – saline and mineral and accented with the citrus – such an inviting energy. More transparent, though lots of mouth-filling volume. Open, less intensely flavoured but with a more mineral saline finishing flavour. Saline, saline finishing – less impact but more impressive finishing despite less fruit concentration in the finish. Half a great wine today.
2017 Chablis Clos des Hospices
A similar nose in aroma, less width but slowly growing in citrus fruit at the base. Bang, bigger, finer energy, a more agrume energy, vibrant wine. That’s super. What an excellent wine.
2018 Chablis Valmur
Not the same aromatic attack as the previous wines, but what a beautiful depth of ripe fruit with wonderful clarity. Wide, fine intensity – mineral-citrus – a structural wine but with no hard edges – the shape almost 1er-cru-plus. A finish that grows in intensity, more saline then slowly fading again. Beautiful 2018 GC…
2018 Chablis Vaudesir
A smaller but more ‘pure-mineral’ nose. A very faint reduction with the minerality – very open, super clarity, waves of flavour crashing into the finish. Super balance without ever showing overt acidity. A more enduring finish, so long… Excellent again…