2024 Domaine Moreau-Naudet Vaillons 1er Cru Chablis | 94 Points | Burgundy

🏆 94 Points | A Cult Chablis Producer, Historic Premier Cru Vines and an Extraordinary 2024 Release!

94 Points – La Revue du Vin de France | 93 Points – Tim Atkin MW | 92 Points – Decanter

Domaine Moreau-Naudet – One of the Most Exciting Names in Modern Chablis!

2024 Domaine Moreau-Naudet Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons

Chablis, Burgundy, France

NEW RELEASE | RRP $180

What happens when one of Chablis' most respected small domaines takes Chardonnay from four extraordinary Premier Cru vineyard parcels, some planted more than 50 years ago, and produces a wine in one of the region's most challenging vintages?

You get something seriously special!

And that's exactly what we have with the 2024 Domaine Moreau-Naudet Premier Cru Vaillons Chablis.

This is the sort of Chardonnay that reminds you why Chablis is one of the greatest white wine regions in the world.

Beautiful citrus purity.

Delicate white flowers.

Fresh orchard fruit.

Fine chalky minerality.

Wonderful texture.

And that extraordinary saline freshness that makes great Chablis so compelling.

And look at the reviews!

94 POINTS – LA REVUE DU VIN DE FRANCE!

93 POINTS – TIM ATKIN MW!

92 POINTS – DECANTER!

But there's much more to this wine than the scores.

The history of the domaine is remarkable.

The vineyard is extraordinary.

And the 2024 vintage has produced a fascinating expression of Premier Cru Chablis.

This is exactly the sort of wine we love discovering at Liquid Vibe!

Domaine Moreau-Naudet – One of the Great Modern Chablis Stories

Domaine Moreau-Naudet has deep roots in Chablis.

The domaine's history stretches back through generations of winegrowers, with the Moreau-Naudet name emerging from the marriage of Marie Naudet and René Moreau in 1950.

But the modern story really begins with Stéphane Moreau.

When Stéphane took charge of the family estate in the early 1990s, he began transforming its approach to viticulture and winemaking.

He was fascinated by the great wines of Burgundy.

And he believed Chablis could produce wines with greater texture, complexity and ageing potential than many of the commercial examples being made at the time.

His approach was different.

Lower yields.

Careful vineyard work.

Later picking when appropriate.

Indigenous yeast fermentation.

And unusually long maturation on lees.

He wanted wines that were expressive and generous without losing the extraordinary mineral precision of Chablis.

The results attracted enormous attention.

Over time, Domaine Moreau-Naudet became one of the most exciting names in the region.

Virginie Moreau – Continuing an Extraordinary Legacy

Tragically, Stéphane Moreau died in 2016.

His passing was a major loss for the domaine and for Chablis.

But his wife, Virginie Moreau, was determined to continue the work they had begun.

Together with the estate's experienced team, she preserved its philosophy.

Careful vineyard management.

Thoughtful harvesting.

Natural fermentations.

Extended maturation.

And wines that express their individual vineyards.

Under Virginie's direction, the domaine has continued to build its reputation.

It has earned two stars in La Revue du Vin de France's Guide Vert, an important recognition of its quality.

And its wines are now highly sought after by serious Burgundy and Chablis lovers.

What I particularly admire is that Virginie hasn't tried to reinvent the domaine.

She's protected its identity while continuing to refine the wines.

That's a remarkable achievement.

Vaillons Premier Cru – One of Chablis' Most Fascinating Vineyards

Vaillons is one of the best-known Premier Cru vineyards in Chablis.

Located on the left bank of the Serein River, it lies southwest of the town of Chablis.

The vineyard is known for producing wines with beautiful aromatic lift, elegant fruit and mineral precision.

But here's something many people wouldn't know.

Vaillons isn't simply one uniform vineyard.

It's a collection of individual vineyard sites, each with slightly different aspects, soils and growing conditions.

And that's what makes Domaine Moreau-Naudet's interpretation so interesting.

The domaine works with four separate parcels, covering approximately 1.78 hectares.

These are located in:

Les Epinottes

A cooler section that contributes freshness and mineral definition.

Roncières

A parcel that can bring additional fruit generosity and texture.

Sécher

Two separate parcels that contribute wonderful mineral tension and structure.

The combination allows Virginie Moreau to create a wine with both elegance and complexity.

Each parcel brings something different.

And together, they produce a beautifully complete expression of Vaillons.

Historic Vines Dating Back to 1974

Here's another extraordinary detail.

Some of the domaine's Vaillons vines were planted in 1974.

That's more than 50 years ago.

Mature vines can develop established root systems and a natural balance between growth and fruit production.

Under the right conditions, they can produce grapes with excellent flavour concentration and structure.

And at Moreau-Naudet, these old vines are treated with enormous care.

The domaine places considerable emphasis on vineyard health and thoughtful harvesting.

The objective is to produce fruit with beautiful natural balance before it ever reaches the winery.

Because great Chablis begins in the vineyard.

Not in the cellar.

Kimmeridgian Limestone – The Geological Heart of Chablis

One of the most fascinating things about Chablis is its geology.

The region is famous for its Kimmeridgian limestone and marl, formed from ancient marine sediments.

These rocks date back approximately 150 million years to the Jurassic period.

The soils often contain fossilised marine material, including tiny oyster-like shells.

And this geological heritage has become central to the identity of Chablis.

Now, it's important to understand that the flinty, chalky and saline flavours we associate with Chablis aren't simply dissolved minerals passing directly from the rocks into the wine.

But geology can influence drainage, water availability, root development and the way vines grow.

And those factors help shape the character of the grapes.

In Vaillons, the combination of limestone-rich soils, vineyard exposure and cool-climate Chardonnay creates wines with remarkable freshness and precision.

That's the magic of great Chablis.

The 2024 Vintage – A Remarkable Story of Survival

The 2024 vintage was extremely challenging across Chablis.

Spring frost.

Hail.

Persistent rainfall.

And severe mildew pressure.

Growers faced one difficulty after another.

Yields were dramatically reduced in many vineyards.

For some producers, the losses were devastating.

But here's the fascinating part.

The fruit that survived often produced wines with beautiful natural acidity and a wonderfully classical Chablis personality.

Compared with the richer 2022 and 2023 vintages, many 2024 wines are more delicate.

More precise.

More mineral.

And wonderfully refreshing.

At Domaine Moreau-Naudet, the 2024 Vaillons has attracted particular attention for its elegance and balance.

The warmer position of Vaillons helped the fruit achieve good ripeness despite the difficult season.

And the resulting wine has a beautiful combination of concentration and freshness.

It's a remarkable achievement in such a challenging year.

Winemaking – Patience, Restraint and Vineyard Expression

One of the things that makes Moreau-Naudet so distinctive is its approach to maturation.

The domaine is known for giving its wines more time on lees than many Chablis producers.

This can contribute wonderful texture, depth and complexity without requiring excessive new oak.

The emphasis is on preserving the character of the fruit.

The 2024 Vaillons was vinified with particular attention to freshness and precision.

Published accounts describe predominantly tank-based fermentation, although some sources also mention the use of large, seasoned oak vessels.

The important point is that the wine is not dominated by oak.

Its personality comes from the vineyard.

Beautiful Chardonnay fruit.

Natural acidity.

Fine mineral structure.

And careful maturation.

This is Chardonnay made with extraordinary restraint.

Tasting Notes – Green Apple, Citrus Blossom and Chalky Mineral Precision

The 2024 Moreau-Naudet Vaillons is a beautifully expressive Premier Cru Chablis.

The aromatics reveal a fascinating combination of:

• Fresh Granny Smith apple

• Lemon zest

• Lime

• Orange peel

• White peach

• Delicate spring flowers

• Subtle gooseberry

• Fine chalky mineral notes

• Gentle savoury complexity

The palate is wonderfully refined.

There's beautiful citrus concentration.

Fresh green apple.

A touch of white peach.

And a lovely floral character.

But the real magic is in the texture.

The wine has a silky, almost satin-like quality.

Yet underneath that softness is a wonderfully precise line of acidity.

Fine chalky grip.

Saline freshness.

And a long, persistent finish.

Green apple. Lemon zest. Orange peel. White flowers. Chalky minerality. Beautiful acidity.

This is a wine that combines delicacy with genuine depth.

And that's a wonderful combination.

94 Points – La Revue du Vin de France

The 2024 Vaillons received an outstanding:

94 POINTS – LA REVUE DU VIN DE FRANCE!

The review highlights the wine's ripe yellow fruit character, beautiful roundness and elegance.

It's a wonderful endorsement from one of France's most respected wine publications.

And particularly impressive given the difficulties of the vintage.

93 Points – Tim Atkin MW

Christy Canterbury MW, reviewing for Tim Atkin's Burgundy coverage, awarded the wine:

93 POINTS!

Her assessment highlights the wine's floral lift, peach character, fine chalky texture and vibrant acidity.

It's a beautifully precise description of what makes Vaillons so compelling.

Elegant fruit.

Fine mineral structure.

And remarkable energy.

92 Points – Decanter

Charles Curtis MW awarded the wine:

92 POINTS – DECANTER!

He highlighted the wine's expressive aromatics, including lime, gooseberry and passion fruit.

The palate was praised for its silky texture and elegant personality.

And the review particularly noted the delicacy of the 2024 vintage.

This is not a powerful, heavily built Chablis.

It's a wine that celebrates finesse.

Why Moreau-Naudet Is Different from Many Chablis Producers

Here's what I find particularly exciting about this domaine.

Chablis has long been associated with lean, steely, mineral-driven Chardonnay.

And those wines can be wonderful.

But Stéphane Moreau believed that great Chablis could have more texture and complexity without sacrificing freshness.

He focused on vineyard quality.

Natural fermentation.

And extended maturation.

That approach helped create wines with a distinctive combination of richness and precision.

Virginie Moreau has continued that philosophy.

And today, Moreau-Naudet is one of the names serious Chablis collectors follow closely.

These are wines with both personality and pedigree.

Cellaring Potential

The 2024 Vaillons is beautifully structured for further development.

Its natural acidity, fine mineral grip and concentrated fruit suggest excellent ageing potential.

Suggested drinking window: 2027–2037, with potential beyond under excellent storage conditions.

I'd be tempted to open a bottle young to appreciate its freshness.

But I'd also put a few away.

With time, the citrus and orchard fruit characters should develop greater savoury and nutty complexity.

And the wine's mineral structure should continue to provide freshness and definition.

Food Pairings

This is a magnificent wine for food.

I'd recommend:

• Fresh oysters

• Scallops with lemon butter

• King George whiting

• Grilled snapper

• Lobster

• Steamed mussels

• Roast chicken with herbs

• Goat's cheese

• Comté

Personally, I'd love this with freshly shucked oysters or Tasmanian scallops.

The combination of saline freshness, citrus purity and chalky minerality would be absolutely sensational.

Why We Love It at Liquid Vibe

Because this wine represents everything that's exciting about great Chablis.

A remarkable family domaine.

A fascinating winemaking legacy.

One of Chablis' most celebrated Premier Cru vineyards.

Four distinct vineyard parcels.

Historic vines dating back to 1974.

Extraordinary Kimmeridgian limestone soils.

A challenging vintage that produced wonderfully classical wines.

And outstanding reviews.

Look at what you're getting.

2024 Domaine Moreau-Naudet Premier Cru Vaillons Chablis

Chablis, Burgundy, France

Premier Cru Vaillons – Left Bank of the Serein

Four Vineyard Parcels – 1.78 Hectares

Historic Vines Dating Back to 1974

Winemaker – Virginie Moreau

94 Points – La Revue du Vin de France

93 Points – Tim Atkin MW

92 Points – Decanter

NEW RELEASE

RRP $180

This is serious Chablis.

Beautifully refined.

Wonderfully mineral.

Full of character.

And from one of the most exciting producers in the region.

2024 DOMAINE MOREAU-NAUDET PREMIER CRU VAILLONS CHABLIS

CHABLIS, BURGUNDY, FRANCE

94 POINTS – LA REVUE DU VIN DE FRANCE!

93 POINTS – TIM ATKIN MW!

92 POINTS – DECANTER!

RRP $180

HISTORIC VINES DATING BACK TO 1974!

FOUR DISTINCT PREMIER CRU PARCELS!

GREEN APPLE. LEMON ZEST. WHITE PEACH. SPRING FLOWERS. CHALKY MINERALITY. SALINE FRESHNESS. EXTRAORDINARY LENGTH.

ONE OF CHABLIS' MOST EXCITING CULT PRODUCERS – AND A BEAUTIFULLY PRECISE 2024 PREMIER CRU!