2022 Benoit Moreau - Chassagne Montrachet (750ml) [PRE ARRIVAL]

Benoît Moreau is the younger son of Bernard Moreau, whose family has farmed vines in Chassagne-Montrachet since Auguste Moreau founded the domaine in 1809. Benoît joined the family estate in 2002 alongside his brother Alexandre, then struck out on his own in 2021, taking roughly four hectares of inherited vineyards with him into a new cellar. He farms biodynamically, using the laborious tressage method of braiding the vine canopy.

This village Chassagne-Montrachet is assembled from six small parcels spread across the middle of the appellation, including sites bordering Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet and land tucked beneath the premier crus Maltroie and Champ Gains. Altogether the plots cover about 1.4 hectares, making this Benoît's largest single bottling. Only around ten percent of the wine is raised in new oak, letting the blend's freshness and site character come through.

The 2022 has a delineated, fresh nose with orange pith and light apricot, gaining an underlying mineral edge with air. The palate is fresh and pithy on entry, with gentle grip, a lovely creamy texture, and a focused, almost minimalist finish. Despite the year's heat, this shows real energy and concentration without any sense of the warm vintage, a testament to Benoît's careful parcel-by-parcel approach.