Tasted in Beines with Anne and Louis Moreau, 17 April, 2014.
Domaine Louis Moreau
10 Grande rue
89800 BEINES
Tel. +33 (0)3 86 42 87 20
+33 (0)3 86 42 87 20
www.louismoreau.com
Louis Moreau is also the president of the Chablis Commission and the Union des Grands Crus de Chablis.
This domaine is partly the mirror image of Domaine Christian Moreau – after 5 generations as a single domaine it was split into the current two. Having split the domaine, Louis Moreau needed new premises and eventually found for-sale a domaine in Beines, adding significant extra hectares, bringing them to 52 hectares in total and two extra 1er Crus. 80% of the domaine’s produce is exported.
The domaine’s tanks are all temperature controlled and ‘a little’ oak elevage is used for the Grand Crus – but not all, and not always… Whilst the lower volume Grand and 1er Crus are bottles in a single run, the larger volume Chablis cuvée is bottled as needed – so called-off every 6 weeks or so – for that reason there could be some small bottle variation if you compare bottles from different markets. The domaine is still selling 2007 and 2008 Vaudesir; “I think that’s the right way to drink them” says Anne.
2012 Chablis
From 25 hectares around the commune of Beines – bottles 1 month earlier.
Fresh, with green herbs, some citrus too. Round, with some ripeness. Good extract in the mid-palate and some agrumes flavour. Not super-energetic but very tasty.
2011 Chablis 1er Vau Lignau
From near Beines – one of the latest to be harvested.
There’s a little citrus and asparagus. Wide, interesting and also a little asparagus flavour – but round and with a fine mouth-watering line of length.
2011 Chablis 1er Fourneaux
One of the first vineyards to be harvested.
There’s asparagus here too – but fainter. Round with a hint of flesh, sucrosité and mouth-watering. There’s some richness but also beautiful balance. A very fine finish.
Some of the domaine’s oldest vines here.
The nose is mineral, ripe and shows a certain saltiness. Lovely sweetness and roundness with fine, mouth-watering flavour. Complex and very, very pretty.
2010 Chablis Les Clos
30% oak elevage here.
There’s a hint of gunflint and perhaps mushroom too to start – not for long though. Concentrated, round and mineral – just a little fumé but it can’t hide a fine peak of minerality in the mid-palate that lasts very long in the finish too. Lovely.
Stainless-steel elevage.
Here the nose is tighter, more reserved. Lovely, bubbling minerality and energy. Fine, complex and detailed. Discrete but complete!
2010 Chablis Valmur
The aromas are more forward – fine and high-toned with some white-flower detail. The fruit is more exotic and forward, rather concentrated too. Really excellent length. Very fine.
2010 Chablis Vaudesir
Ripe fruit and flowers – a pretty and fresh nose. Seemingly more mineral but with richness too. Again, a very fine length of finish.
2010 Chablis Les Clos des Hospices
Some higher tones, faintly creamy oak too. Round, a little rich and padded but mineral too. Not super-exuberant, but super-engaging. Agrumes in the mid-palate too. Super length – contemplative wine.