2024 Domaine Moreau-Naudet Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru Chablis | 94 Points Decanter

🏆 94 Points | Grand Cru Neighbours, 50-Year-Old Vines & One of Chablis' Most Exciting Cult Producers!

94 Points – Decanter | 94 Points – Tim Atkin MW | 91–93 Points – Robert Parker Wine Advocate

An Extraordinary Premier Cru from Virginie Moreau – A Vineyard Neighbouring Raveneau and Grand Cru Les Blanchots!

2024 Domaine Moreau-Naudet Montée de Tonnerre Premier Cru Chablis

Chablis, Burgundy, France

NEW RELEASE | RRP $205

What if I told you that you could drink a Premier Cru Chablis from a vineyard sitting immediately beside one of the greatest Grand Cru slopes in Burgundy?

And what if I told you that the fruit comes from vines around 50 years old, with a parcel neighbouring the legendary Domaine Raveneau?

Well, that's exactly what we have here.

2024 Domaine Moreau-Naudet Montée de Tonnerre Premier Cru Chablis!

And what an extraordinary wine this is.

94 POINTS – DECANTER!

94 POINTS – TIM ATKIN MW!

91–93 POINTS – ROBERT PARKER WINE ADVOCATE!

But here's what makes it particularly exciting.

This isn't just any Premier Cru Chablis.

Montée de Tonnerre is widely regarded as one of the finest Premier Cru vineyards in the entire appellation.

And the Moreau-Naudet parcel occupies a particularly remarkable position.

Immediately beside Grand Cru Les Blanchots.

Separated by a narrow ravine.

With extraordinary Kimmeridgian limestone soils.

And a winemaking philosophy that is completely different from much of modern Chablis.

This is exactly the sort of Burgundy I love discovering at Liquid Vibe!

Domaine Moreau-Naudet – One of the Most Fascinating Producers in Chablis

Domaine Moreau-Naudet is based in Chablis and has become one of the region's most admired small domaines.

For many years, the estate was guided by Stéphane Moreau.

Stéphane was a winemaker with a very particular philosophy.

He believed that great Chablis should possess more than simply sharp acidity and a mineral finish.

He wanted wines with concentration.

Texture.

Depth.

And the ability to age beautifully.

To achieve that, he adopted a series of meticulous vineyard and cellar practices.

Low yields.

Careful hand-harvesting.

Natural fermentation.

And unusually long maturation on lees.

His wines developed an extraordinary following.

Sadly, Stéphane died in 2016.

His wife, Virginie Moreau, subsequently took over the estate.

And here's what makes the story so remarkable.

Rather than changing the style, Virginie has continued to develop the domaine's distinctive approach.

Today, Moreau-Naudet is recognised for producing some of Chablis' most compelling, textured and beautifully balanced wines.

Montée de Tonnerre – The Premier Cru That Almost Feels Like a Grand Cru

Here's something every serious Burgundy lover should know.

Not all Premier Cru vineyards are created equal.

And Montée de Tonnerre is one of the most highly regarded Premier Crus in Chablis.

It's situated on the right bank of the River Serein, close to the famous Grand Cru hillside.

The vineyard has a reputation for producing wines with extraordinary depth, concentration, mineral structure and longevity.

And here's the fascinating part.

Some of its finest parcels sit remarkably close to the Grand Cru vineyards.

Including the Moreau-Naudet holding.

Approximately one hectare in the Chapelot sector of Montée de Tonnerre.

And immediately across a narrow ravine?

Grand Cru Les Blanchots.

That's an extraordinary location.

For Chardonnay lovers who appreciate the nuances of Burgundy's vineyard classifications, it's a fascinating opportunity to explore a site with genuine Grand Cru proximity.

The Raveneau Connection – Here's Something Most People Wouldn't Know

This is one of my favourite details about this wine.

Charles Curtis MW, writing for Decanter, notes that the Moreau-Naudet fruit comes from a plot directly beside a parcel associated with Domaine Raveneau.

And if you're serious about Chablis, you'll know exactly why that's exciting.

Raveneau is one of the most revered names in the entire region.

Its wines are among the most sought-after Chardonnays in the world.

And Montée de Tonnerre is one of its most celebrated Premier Cru bottlings.

Now, neighbouring vineyards don't automatically produce identical wines.

Different vine ages, vineyard practices, exposures and winemaking decisions can create dramatically different results.

But the geographical connection is fascinating.

Moreau-Naudet is working with fruit from one of the most prestigious neighbourhoods in Chablis.

And that makes this wine particularly compelling.

Kimmeridgian Limestone – The Geological Heart of Great Chablis

One of the reasons Chablis is so extraordinary is its geology.

The finest vineyards are associated with Kimmeridgian limestone and marl, geological formations dating back to the Jurassic period.

These ancient marine sedimentary deposits can contain fossilised shell material.

The Moreau-Naudet Montée de Tonnerre vineyard has a rocky, sandy topsoil over limestone-rich material.

And this geology plays an important role in the vineyard's growing conditions.

Soil depth.

Drainage.

Water availability.

Root development.

And the way the vines respond to seasonal conditions.

It's important to remember that the flinty, chalky and oyster-shell characters we associate with Chablis aren't simply dissolved minerals travelling directly from the rocks into the grapes.

But geology is part of the extraordinary combination of factors that gives these vineyards their identity.

And in Montée de Tonnerre, that identity can be remarkable.

Chalky precision.

Saline freshness.

Fine mineral tension.

And extraordinary length.

Fifty-Year-Old Vines – The Beauty of a Mature Vineyard

The Moreau-Naudet holding comprises two adjoining vineyard plots.

One contains vines approximately 50 years old.

The other is a younger, recently replanted parcel.

Mature vines can be a wonderful asset in Burgundy.

Their established root systems and balanced growth can contribute to consistency and concentration.

But what makes this wine particularly exciting is the combination of mature vines with an exceptional vineyard position.

The result is Chardonnay capable of showing both richness and precision.

And that's one of the signatures of great Montée de Tonnerre.

The 2024 Vintage – A Challenging Year That Rewarded Exceptional Vineyard Work

The 2024 vintage was extremely difficult across Chablis.

Rain.

Frost.

Hail.

And significant disease pressure.

Yields were dramatically reduced in many vineyards.

But here's what makes Burgundy so fascinating.

Challenging vintages can still produce extraordinary wines when growers have exceptional sites and make careful decisions.

At Moreau-Naudet, the 2024 Montée de Tonnerre has emerged as one of the domaine's particularly successful Premier Cru wines.

The cool conditions helped preserve freshness.

And the fruit retained enough concentration to produce a wine with genuine depth and texture.

This is a vintage where producer and vineyard selection matter enormously.

Winemaking – Why Moreau-Naudet Is Different

Here's another reason I find this domaine so interesting.

Moreau-Naudet doesn't rush its wines to market.

The estate is known for an unusually patient approach to maturation.

Virginie Moreau continues the tradition of natural fermentation, careful lees ageing and restrained use of oak.

The domaine's Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines typically spend considerably longer in maturation than many conventional Chablis.

The emphasis isn't on obvious oak flavours.

It's on building texture, depth and complexity.

For the Montée de Tonnerre, fermentation uses indigenous yeasts.

Maturation involves a combination of vessels, including oak barrels and larger formats.

The resulting wine has beautiful breadth.

But also the distinctive chalky acidity that makes great Chablis so compelling.

This is not thin, aggressively acidic Chardonnay.

It's Chardonnay with concentration.

Texture.

And extraordinary mineral structure.

Tasting Notes – Lemon Oil, Oyster Shell, Beeswax and Flint

The 2024 Domaine Moreau-Naudet Montée de Tonnerre is a beautifully complex Chardonnay.

The aromas reveal:

• Fresh lemon and lemon oil

• Granny Smith apple

• Ripe pear

• Quince

• Apricot

• Delicate beeswax

• Subtle toasted almond

• Oyster shell

• Flinty mineral notes

The palate is magnificent.

There's lovely fruit concentration.

Ripe orchard fruit.

Fresh citrus.

And a beautiful creamy texture.

But what makes this wine particularly exciting is its structure.

Beneath the fruit lies a wonderfully taut, chalky core.

The acidity is precise.

The mineral character is persistent.

And the finish combines saline freshness with extraordinary length.

Lemon oil. Pear. Quince. Beeswax. Oyster shell. Flint. Chalky minerality. Beautiful acidity.

A wine that manages to be both generous and incredibly refined.

94 Points – Charles Curtis MW, Decanter

Charles Curtis MW awarded the 2024 Montée de Tonnerre:

94 POINTS – DECANTER!

He particularly admired the wine's creamy richness, ripe apricot and quince characters, and fine flinty mineral notes.

But here's what makes his assessment interesting.

Rather than describing an enormous, powerful Montée de Tonnerre, he emphasises the wine's elegance.

Its balance.

Its beautiful texture.

And its capacity to develop with bottle age.

He suggests allowing the wine three to five years before opening, with the potential to improve for at least another decade.

That's a wonderful endorsement of its ageing potential.

94 Points – Tim Atkin MW

The wine also received:

94 POINTS – TIM ATKIN MW!

Reviewed by Christy Canterbury MW for TimAtkin.com, the 2024 release was praised for its balance between ripe fruit and beautifully structured acidity.

Fine savoury lees complexity.

Toasted almond.

And a long, refreshing finish.

Another outstanding review.

91–93 Points – Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Kristaps Karklins awarded the wine a provisional range of:

91–93 POINTS – ROBERT PARKER WINE ADVOCATE!

His assessment highlights:

Lemon oil.

Beeswax.

Pear.

Green apple.

Oyster shell.

And a beautifully chalky mineral structure.

He also identifies the wine as having particularly good depth and amplitude compared with the domaine's other Premier Cru releases from 2024.

An impressive result from such a challenging vintage.

For Lovers of Raveneau, Dauvissat and Great White Burgundy

If you love great Chablis, this is a wine that deserves your attention.

Particularly if you appreciate the combination of concentration and mineral precision found in the finest Premier Cru vineyards.

Think about the qualities that make great Chablis so compelling.

Citrus purity.

Chalky minerality.

Saline freshness.

Fine texture.

Subtle savoury complexity.

And extraordinary length.

The Moreau-Naudet Montée de Tonnerre delivers all those qualities.

And its vineyard position makes the story even more fascinating.

A Premier Cru with genuine Grand Cru neighbours.

Made by one of Chablis' most admired small producers.

Cellaring Potential

This is a wine with serious ageing potential.

Decanter suggests it will begin opening beautifully after three to five years, then continue developing for at least another decade.

Suggested drinking window: 2028–2038+.

If you're opening a bottle young, I'd give it some time in the glass or decanter.

Serve at approximately 11–12°C rather than ice-cold.

As the wine matures, expect the youthful citrus and green apple characters to develop deeper hazelnut, beeswax, honeyed and savoury complexity.

Food Pairings

This is an extraordinary food wine.

I'd recommend:

• Freshly shucked oysters

• King George whiting

• Grilled scallops

• Southern rock lobster

• Turbot with beurre blanc

• Roast chicken with mushrooms

• Crab linguine

• Comté

• Aged Gruyère

Personally, I'd love this with freshly grilled scallops, brown butter and lemon.

The combination of creamy texture, citrus freshness and chalky mineral structure would be sensational.

Why We Love It at Liquid Vibe

Because this is everything that makes Burgundy so fascinating.

An extraordinary vineyard.

A remarkable geological history.

Mature vines.

A position immediately beside the Grand Cru slope.

A fascinating connection to Domaine Raveneau.

And a producer with one of the most distinctive winemaking philosophies in Chablis.

Look at what you're getting.

2024 Domaine Moreau-Naudet Montée de Tonnerre Premier Cru Chablis

Chablis, Burgundy, France

Premier Cru – Montée de Tonnerre

Chapelot Vineyard Parcel

Approximately One Hectare

Mature Vines Around 50 Years Old

Adjacent to Grand Cru Les Blanchots

Vineyard Neighbour of Domaine Raveneau

Kimmeridgian Limestone

Natural Fermentation

Extended Lees Maturation

94 Points – Decanter

94 Points – Tim Atkin MW

91–93 Points – Robert Parker Wine Advocate

RRP $180

This is serious Chablis.

A wine with pedigree.

History.

Extraordinary terroir.

And beautiful ageing potential.

For anyone who loves great Chardonnay, this is a wine that deserves a place in the cellar.

2024 DOMAINE MOREAU-NAUDET MONTÉE DE TONNERRE PREMIER CRU CHABLIS

CHABLIS, BURGUNDY, FRANCE

94 POINTS – DECANTER!

94 POINTS – TIM ATKIN MW!

91–93 POINTS – ROBERT PARKER WINE ADVOCATE!

NEW RELEASE | RRP $180

A PREMIER CRU VINEYARD BESIDE GRAND CRU LES BLANCHOTS!

VINEYARD NEIGHBOUR OF DOMAINE RAVENEAU!

LEMON OIL. PEAR. QUINCE. BEESWAX. OYSTER SHELL. FLINT. CHALKY MINERALITY. EXTRAORDINARY LENGTH.

ONE OF CHABLIS' MOST EXCITING PREMIER CRUS – FROM ONE OF BURGUNDY'S MOST ADMIRED CULT PRODUCERS!