Tasting (Mostly) 2012 and 2013 at Domaine Bernard Moreau

I was first introduced to Domaine Bernard Moreau wines in October 2010 when Knightsbridge and The Sorting Table held a dinner with Alexandre Moreau in Chicago. I was so pleased with these wines that I've been purchasing them ever since and have gotten to know Alex from La Paulee, Grands Jours, etc. This was my first visit to the domaine. Sensational visit with a producer who has become one of "must buys" every vintage.

Sensational overall. Alex helped me really start to understand the complexity, differences and nuances of terroir in Chassagne-Montrachet, makingme udnerstand why I've liked certain locations over others.

• 2012 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chardonnay Bourgogne

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  Tasting at domaine. Fresh apple, lean and precise. Elegantly styled for consumption over the next few years.

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• 2012 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet

  Tasting at domaine. Often one of my favorite value wines in the area, and 2012 doesn't disappoint. Cross-section of apple aromas and flavors with very good depth for Villages level. Moreau's holding are in two large sections on opposite ends of Chassagne, both just below the dividing line between Villages and 1er Cru.

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• 2012 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroie

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Tasting at domaine. Floral and spice driven start with forward fruit aromas. More lithe and austere flavors, lots of green apple and lemon, lots of minerality. Very good length.

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• 2012 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chenevottes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Tasting at domaine. Floral and forward aromatic start, slightly bigger vs Maltroie just tasted. Riper on palate, more forward, rounder, but perhaps not quite as long or precise. I slightly preferred Maltroie.

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• 2012 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Champs-Gain

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Tasting at domaine. Similar overall profile to Chenevottes just tasted, also somewhat forward, rich and round, while retaining good energy. Alex explained that Champs-Gain has more topsoil vs Maltroie, which drives those differences in the wine.

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• 2012 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Tasting at domaine. From 2 lieux-dits that contribute different elements. Big scaled, similar to Champs-Gain in many ways, but with slightly more nuanced structural supporting elements. Very good.

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• 2012 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Grandes Ruchottes 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Tasting at domaine. Incredible fruit, subtle floral and spice notes. Incredible density and minerality. Long and powerful. Excellent.
  
  Alex suggested a great idea for a dinner. There are only 6 owners in Grandes-Ruchottes, so serving a couple of vintages from each, tasted blind. I will have to work on that.

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• 2013 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet

  Barrel tasting at domaine. ML complete. Rounder, richer vs the 2012, more forward, perhaps this will end up slightly simpler. But once again a stellar Villages wine.

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• 2013 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroie

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Barrel tasting at domaine. ML complete. Much like the 2012 just tasted, this was linear with lots of energy and minerality. Fruit comes across slightly richer, slightly less power and length.

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• 2013 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Grandes Ruchottes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Barrel tasting at domaine. ML complete. Great cross-section of fruit, nicely supported with spice and floral notes. Great balance already. A sensational 1er.

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• 2013 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Bâtard-Montrachet

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

  Barrel tasting at domaine. ML complete. Large scaled fruit with very good concentration, followed with good structure and lots of tension and uncoiled energy. My limited experience tasting Grand Cru from barrel makes it tough to fairly assess, but this comes across less like "typical" Batard, which I associate with lush wines. But absolutely beautiful wine and I think terroir has its way to evolve in wines made this well. Even better news...more wine this year...three barrels, which is a miracle (not of nature) in 2013.

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• 2013 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

  Barrel tasting at domaine. ML complete. Sensational. Lots of apple and pear aromas and flavors with great density. Subtle spice and floral elements start-to-finish. This is exactly what I think of the precise Chevalier-Montrachet, epitomized by great concentration and depth, while yet shy and subtle. A great wine in the making.

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• 2012 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet

  Tasting at domaine. All red cherry on nose and palate, subtle spice. Very balanced and pleasurable already now.

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• 2012 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot La Cardeuse Rouge 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Tasting at domaine. Very elegantly styled with red cherry and red berry aromas and flavors, good acidty and soft, supporting tannins. Very good. I specifically wanted to taste this wine today because Charles van Canneyt told me at La Paulee that Moreau makes the best Chassagne-Montrachet rouge available. That made me particularly interested, in that I'm rarely a fan of Chassagne-Montrachet rouge.

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• 2012 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Santenots

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

  Tasting at domaine. Floral with lots of red berry aromas and flavors. Interestingly I found this a little more firm and tannin vs the Chassagne 1er Rouge, but I liked how the structural elements support an interesting, long finish. Good.

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Late one evening at LaPaulee, Charles van Canneyt of Hudelot-Noellat told me that Domaine Moreau produced the finest Chassagne-Montrachet rouge. So I specifically asked Alex that I was interested in trying this allegedly finest Chassagne. And not only did Alex oblige with five vintages, but Charles was proven correct. These are probably the best I have ever tasted.

• 2011 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot La Cardeuse Rouge

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Tasting at domaine. slightly softer red fruit vs the 2012 with less structure. Very pleasant and elegant, definitely good now.

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• 2010 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot La Cardeuse Rouge 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Tasting at domaine. My favorite of the 5 vintage vertical (2012-2008). Floral, spice and plenty of red fruit again on nose and palate. Well structured, but not too firm, works well with the very nuanced quality of fruit here. Probably will need the most time of all the vintages tasted to reach full potential.

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• 2009 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot La Cardeuse Rouge

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Tasting and domaine. The most lush and ripe of the 5 vintages tasted. Both red and black fruit here with good spice. Meaty and dense with a good sense of power. Fun now, but with the serious stuffing to last, evolve and improve. First vintage where whole cluster was used (30%).

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• 2008 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot La Cardeuse Rouge

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Tasting at domaine. Red cherry flavors and aromas with subtle spice. Overall very restrained. Needs time for the structure to soften a little more. The last vintage before whole cluster was used.

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