2018 Chassagne-Montrachet - Moreau

Parker 89-91 | Galloni 89 | 

Der Dorflagen-Chassagne von der Domaine Bernard Moreau ist einer der besten überhaupt. Nur wenige andere Villages haben diese Spannung, Dichte und Konzentration. Neben manchen 1er Crus der Nachbarn wirkt die Moreau-Dorflage sogar häufig überlegen. Für unseren Geschmack sind die Bewertungen der wirklich guten Burgunder-Dorflagen bei internationalen Verkostern oft zu niedrig. Alen Meadows kommt selten über 90 Punkte. Die Parker Bewertung dieses Weins ist mit 89-91 Punkten vergleichsweise hoch. Verständlich, dass die unterschiedlichen Lagen mit differenzierten Bewertungen versehen werden wollen und es daher für die Premiers und Grand Crus Luft nach oben braucht. Dennoch bekommen dann wiederum Chardonnay aus anderen Regionen und Ländern vergleichsweise höhere Bewertungen als die besten Dorflagen des Burgund. Da die Dorflage von Alexandre Moreau aus 2018 aber deutlich besser ist als viele Grand Crus anderer Erzeuger, sollte sie unserer Meinung nach auch entsprechend bewertet werden.

Parker 89-91 | There are fully 125 barrels of the 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet Village, a lovely wine in the making that reveals aromas of warm bread, citrus oil, fresh peach and dried white flowers. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, satiny and nicely concentrated, with fine cut and a well-defined finish. That there's so much volume this year is great news for Moreau fans.

Alex and Benoit Moreau began their harvest on August 30, afraid of waiting too long given the warm conditions, and reported finished alcohols between 12.15% and 13.3%. This was a large crop for the domaine, even for its premiers crus and old vines: Chenevottes, for example, yielded fully 62 hetoliters per hectare, its most generous in 20 years. Most of the domaine's white wine fermentations lasted into June-July 2019. As usual, I made Domaine Bernard Moreau one of my last stops during my time in Burgundy to catch the wines at their best, and the young 2018s showed superbly: it's a more immediate vintage than 2017 but beautifully balanced. Indeed, it's hard to think of a better address to which to direct readers looking to take a tour of some of Chassagne-Montrachet's most interesting terroirs. I also revisited the superb 2017s in bottle, wines that number among the vintage's finest. 

Galloni 89 | The 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet Village, which was bottled in January 2020, offers attractive green apple and lime scents on the nose, a touch of citrus peel developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a rounded texture, creamy and generous, what you might call a crowd-pleasing Chassagne that would win wide approval, though maybe the 2019 has a tad more intellect, a view shared by Alex Moreau.