CHABLIS

2017 1er Cru Forêts Domaine Moreau-Naudet

EN PRIMEUR

This is impressive. Very mineral, a heft of oyster and chalk but surrounded by a thin crisp layer of lime juice and pithy lemon. There is brooding weight - but today from the tank this is pure and powerfully muscular Chablis. Delicious. Drinking range: 2020 - 2025L&S (Oct 2018)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

Lemon zest, acacia, dried pineapple, chamomile and flint on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with bright, tangy acidity. Superbly concentrated, long, mineral and textured. Tight on the finish. Drink or hold. Rating: 94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2021)

The 2017 Chablis Forets 1er Cru is a gorgeous, beguiling wine that captures all of the qualities that make the best 2017s so complete and alluring. In the glass, the Forets is powerful and deep, yet also retains terrific nuance. The interplay of richness and energy gives the Forets myriad dimensions of complexity that will start to emerge more fully with time in bottle. Readers can look forward to a Chablis with a very bright future. Drinking range: 2022 - 2032 Rating: 94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2020)

There is better Chablis typicity to the cool and restrained nose that is compositionally similar that includes the whiff of exotic fruit but with more citrus elements. Again there is very good volume to the overtly rich, textured and dense middle weight flavors that deliver plenty of minerality and salinity on the lingering finish. Drinking range: 2023 - Rating: 89 Allen Meadows, www.Burghound.com (Jan 2020)

Green fruits and straw on the nose. Lots of lovely juice on the palate. Racy, lacy and lifted. Very precise. Long. Drinking range: 2019 - 2026 Rating: 17 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Jan 2019)

The 2017 Chablis 1er Cru Forêts achieves a similar alliance of ripeness with acidic tang. Notes of brioche, lemon oil, white flowers and green apple proceed an ample, medium to full-bodied wine with a textural attack, succulent acids and good chewy concentration. I suspect this will become more tensile after its second winter on the lees. Rating: 90-92 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Aug 2018)

A domaine of 25 hectares, of which 3 are in Petit Chablis, 11 or 12 in Chablis, 3 in Vaillons, 2 in Forets, 1.6 in Montmains, 0.86 in Montée de Tonnerre, and 0.58 in Valmur. (Yes, this does not make 25 - there are further parcels of young vines in the Courgis sector - Beauregards, Côte de Jouan and Goulotte, which are currently sold in bulk).

Virginie (Mimi) Moreau is proving more than equal to the task of taking over from her husband Stéphane. Stéphane, who was influenced by Vincent Dauvissat (who recommended him to us many years ago, and who remains an influence here) was vigneron whose star burned very brightly, and the domaine continues along the lines he set, working organically, hand-picking, aiming for optimum maturity while avoiding any botrytis influence.

The cellar-work is also masterful, using 30% barrel-élevage for all the Premier and the Grand Cru, but not in such a way that oakiness can readily be detected in the wines (all the barrels are steamed rather than charred and there is no new oak except for in the straight Chablis, and then only one barrel per 100hl in order to age it prior to using for the Premiers Crus).

Mimi's daughter Neil (Nelle) is a bright new addition to the team here and together there is a calm confidence in what they are doing, and the wines - full of racy character, textural depth and complexity, seem to be better with every vintage.

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STORAGE OPTIONS:

Wines bought en primeur are scheduled to arrive in the UK over the course of the next eighteen months. If you do not wish to take home delivery, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our primeurs team for more information.

While helpful, we do not require a firm commitment on delivery destination to process your primeur order at this stage. Our team will be in contact with you when your wines arrive in the UK to confirm the necessary delivery details.

BURGUNDY EN PRIMEUR FAQ

OFFER: All wines are offered subject to availability and final confirmation.

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