Tasted on the border of Chassagne and Santenay, with Benoît Moreau, 28 November 2023.
Domaine Benoît Moreau
5 rue aligoté
Zac du pré fleury
21190 Chassagne-Montrachet
More reports with Domaine Benoît Moreau
Benoît on 2023:
“Actually the worst part in 2023 was the hail in Beaujolais – it came 4 times – the last time in August brought small hailstones but with a strong wind – so we got just 10 hl/ha. We waited and most of the August hail just dried and dropped to the ground. I still thought that we’d need to declassify to Beaujolais Villages but after the trie we didn’t have much but the quality was good enough make all theee cuvées.”
Benoît on 2022:
“Really happy. It was a hot year but with hyper-fresh wines with the texture of the vintage. You really can’t tell that we harvested 24 August! We could separate each parcel and all were different so, yes, I’m very happy. It will probably be March for the first bottling a couple might be later but the tastings will define that. I will sell the last of the 21s with the 22s. And will probably keep doing that with Cardeuse and Grands Ruchottes – ie wait another year to commercialise.”
The wines…
A big bravo! There’s nothing here that I wouldn’t love in my cellar – and quite a number – of both colours – are worth a special search.
Three Chassagne vines ‘but the work in the vines is exactly the same as for the grand crus.’
Not so wide but this has a clean and appealing nose. Class, structure, then a breadth of fine-boned flavour. The flavour could be a little more expressive today but the shape of this is really classy, it will be a top Bourgogne.
2022 Chassagne-Montrachet
7 parcels mainly from the centre of the village
Also a shy nose but higher toned and properly inviting. Larger scale in the mouth – with energy and obvious concentration but the concentration is balanced with plenty of energy – shoulders like 2020 with an easier and delicious finish .
Vertical, really deep, that’s clearly a beauty. Vibrant, fluid, complex, mineral, mouth-filling great st aubin – bravo!
2022 Chassagne Charrières
Next to Vide Bourse and Criots – the vineyard is quite large. 50-year-old vines, ‘always millerandé’
An extra breadth of aroma, slightly airy and shy at the same time. Depth of flavour, concentration yet still minerality too – a small reduction, attractive, generosity without fat. So delicious!
Larger scale many more higher tones – thats a great nose! Energy, clarity, cool fruit with a very faint zesty grain. The finish opening out and great finishing – yes!
2022 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Maltroie
Finer, airy, floral – so engaging. Airy in the mouth too with a more overt minerality – properly intense yet still delicious finishing. Love it!
Airy width but with extra density. In the mouth too, more serious intent with a more concentrated rendition of minerality but all delicacy at the edges. Floraly and long, long, long – another great wine!
‘For me, this is the most limestone part of Morgeot’
More direct but also showing a citrus extra the mineral line. A wine that eases over the palate fluid and melting – a style to die for – not the strongest or most complex but just the best in the mouth – so far! My new favourite! Wait 2 years!!
An eruption of limestone in the middle of their pinot, almost no soil and 65 yo vines – the first time they have been isolated.
A medium volume of aroma but what aroma! Faintly, nobly, reductive. Hmm, like the last with more depth and weight, the complete wine – bravo! Great finishing…
Vines planted in 1939. ‘Its the same as Ruchottes’
Airy but with a beam of citrus that heads deep. Cooler, more direct, a suggestion of barrel framing the flavour but what flavour! Grandiose texture, shape and flavour – complete wine – but wait 2-3 years for the last of the oak to fade.
Les Reds:
The wines from the Beaujolais region are labelled L’Arlesienne, not Benoit Moreau – as this is an exploitation shared with Benoit and a wine-making friend. Not yet certified but all the work is biodynamic:
This the only red that’s bottled – from 500m way above the Col des Truges!
Yes, yes and yes. Wonderful, inviting, purity of darker, fresh, fruit. Large scale, juicy, mouth-filling with finely grained tannin framing all the flavours. Just great bjv and I bought some!
2022 Chiroubles – Chatenay
Slightly less aromatic impact but more perfumed – great perfume. More mouth-filling and more tannic texture but still, like the nose, more perfumed fruit too. Delicious
2022 Morgon Corcelette
A different perfume from this more vertical nose. You sense more the stricture – less grain of tannin but more drying, extra juicy finishing, gorgeously finishing, wait an impatient 2 years for this ! Such delicious wine…
Panoramic width, more shy high and low tones with some faint oak. Fluid style, and there’s a texture of velour – actually this Chassagne is more approachable today than the Morgon. Wonderful depth of flavour – bravo!
2022 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er La Cardeuse
Some wc perfume here – and what perfume – yes! A more structured impression but still with so much class – a wonderful wine but for drinkability today, take the previous – wait 5-8 years for this but with impatience!